Cowboys legend Troy Aikman reveals life's challenges post NFL retirement

Troy Aikman's life took a big turn in 2022. The famous NFL broadcaster moved teams and joined ESPN to be part of the Monday Night Football crew, leaving behind FOX after almost two decades working for the network.

Aikman, a former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, knows that time away from the game can make things more difficult each year after you retire. This is something similar to what's happening with Tony Romo.

During his appearance on the "I Am Athlete" podcast, Aikman discussed how hard it is to be a play-by-play commentator during NFL games:

"When you get into other fields post-career, most of the effort is really mental. And I think that, with broadcasting specifically, the part that I think maybe catches people a little bit off-guard as former players is that, because they feel they know football, they feel they can just step in, whether it's a pregame show or doing game analysis.

"I don't think it works that way. I think you have to put in the work and you have to be prepared. And if you're not, then ultimately, I believe you get exposed."

Troy Aikman won three rings with the Dallas Cowboys in his NFL career

During the '90s, Troy Aikman was the leading force behind one of the NFL's greatest teams of all time. He was the quarterback for a Dallas Cowboys team that won three Super Bowls in a decade.

The first overall pick of the 1989 NFL draft, he was also voted to six Pro Bowls and won the MVP for Super Bowl XXVII, when the Cowboys obliterated the Buffalo Bills 52-17. It was the first of three rings won by the franchise in a span of four seasons.

He retired from the NFL in 2000 and moved to the booth shortly thereafter. His partnership with Joe Buck is as strong as ever, as the duo moved to ESPN to take care of Monday Night Football following a long span with FOX.