The real reason Troy Aikman retired from football, through his own words

[CowboyChris]

all I can say bout Aikman, loved the player, hate the announcer

 

[RS12]

Hard to believe the nifty move the GM made trading two number ones for Joey Galloway didn't convince Troy things were heading in the right direction.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Troy cried like a baby at his retirement.
It was a health issue.
He'd had multiple concussions and many other ailments including back issues.
He could have forced a trade but didn't.
He retired; then when multiple teams approached him he stayed retired.

He hated that Norv Turner wasn't hired for the job.
He hated the lax environment under Barry and then he thought Gailey was a glorified college coach.
All true, but he also was going to be 35 and coming off a poor season.

They both got the best for themselves. Troy got to figure out what life was like after football, and whether he could be successful at it. Jerry got a chance to be the biggest name in the room called the Dallas Cowboys. With the exception of one brief moment when he had Parcells this has been Jerry's show.

If it would have continued on together it would not have ended well. Troy hated Jerry's choices of coaches. Campo then Gailey. Jerry has openly lamented that he never gave Chan Gailey an honest chance. I wonder if Troy's attitude had anythying to do with that?

I always wondered if there wasn't some form of a secret anti-Jerry, but pro-Cowboys club from the group that was Troy, Jimmy and Norv.

 

[Zekeats]

my thread got deleted for old content but this one remains. SMH, can't make this **** up

 

[Kingofholland]

Yeah he was clearly done in the 2000 season 7 tds 14 ints. Granted talent was declining and 2 receivers missed a lot of time but he looked done too. If he still wanted to play he would have played for the Dolphins but didn't..

 

[dfense]

Troy's time was doomed the minute Irvin got hurt in Philly. Emmitt's departure sealed it.

Aikman was just average without them.

 

[logan]

That 90's team died such an unceremonious death. Aikman, Irvin, Deion, Moose, Nate Newton, Erik WIlliams, Kevin Smith, Leon Lett & Chad Hennings all gone in a 2 year span.

 

[Trajan]

That 90's team died such an unceremonious death. Aikman, Irvin, Deion, Moose, Nate Newton, Erik WIlliams, Kevin Smith, Leon Lett & Chad Hennings all gone in a 2 year span.

Yea, but from the ashes we got winners and teams led by legends like Quincy Carter......I give up.

 

[Floatyworm]

Troy cried like a baby at his retirement.
It was a health issue.
He'd had multiple concussions and many other ailments including back issues.
He could have forced a trade but didn't.
He retired; then when multiple teams approached him he stayed retired.

He hated that Norv Turner wasn't hired for the job.
He hated the lax environment under Barry and then he thought Gailey was a glorified college coach.
All true, but he also was going to be 35 and coming off a poor season.

And Tom Brady is 43 coming off a Super Bowl win....It wasn't like Troy had a lot of wear on the arm. First thing that goes on a pocket QB....can't make the deep out throws across the hash. Troy could have still made that throw w/ his eyes closed.

 

[windward]

Troy's time was doomed the minute Irvin got hurt in Philly. Emmitt's departure sealed it.

Aikman was just average without them.

Emmitt left 2 years after Troy.

 

[CouchCoach]

People can and will believe what they want, concussions or back, but I was watching the day the reporter asked him about "retiring" and his reaction was one I'd never seen from him. He was cut and pissed about it.

The biggest joke is that Booger loves his players, no he doesn't. He loves what they do for him and when players like Aikman and Romo no longer do for him, they're gone. He simply didn't want to pay Aikman or Romo. I don't think you'd hear either one of those players extoll the virtues of Booger. He's a self serving slime bag.

Aikman is a smart guy and it didn't take him long to figure out why Booger hired Switzer. And Aikman didn't have a problem with Switzer personally, he didn't like his management style when he knew what was going on with some of the players. Switzer had done right by him at OU and changed the offense and tried to get him to go to Johnson in Miami because he'd lost out on him to Switzer. He knew Switzer was there to clear the way for Booger and Campo's first suggestion to Switzer was bring Booger back into the locker room. The real men had already bailed on Booger and Campo was his little friend who'd he'd reward later for his loyalty.

 

[blueblood70]

And here all this time I thought it was the multiple concussions that finally forced him to say enough was enough.

dont believe the hype it was not only concussions but his back. He was all but done..with the media today with stats and SM and this place his numbers were pedestrian at the end, he wouldn't have survived the backlash and Jag minikers..lol..so if he wasn't done why diodnt he go pay semhwree else like PManning and go get another SB , TB12 left went and got another SB..hmm i say hes throwing shade on jerry. dude was done..like Romo injuries' and the teams crumbling around him tapped him on the shoulder and said its tike..Like Luck sometimes you just have to know when its time..

 

[Diehardblues]

Great players are never ready to give it up.

And screw Jethro .

 

[blueblood70]

Emmitt left 2 years after Troy.

i dont remember that he payed two years after he left here with the cardinals but not sure how they all left..he was done anyway..

 

[Aikmaniac]

..I had a feeling it was time to go, when on one game he was sacked back to back times. He got up started yelling at the OL, getting in their faces. I think he was gone the following year.

Then Jerry bought his first bottle of Johnny Red Walker and the rest is history.

I remember that one at Philly. They sacked him twice with three down linemen. I'd be pissed too.

 

[Praxit]

I remember that one at Philly. They sacked him twice with three down linemen. I'd be pissed too.

.....ahh... maybe your right. Been such a long time.

 

[bigdnlaca]

i dont remember that he payed two years after he left here with the cardinals but not sure how they all left..he was done anyway..

Emmitt 1st year without Troy were decent when no one on offense from the last SB was there except for Allen. Probably would have had better numbers if they had an offensive threat outside the numbers and a qb

 

[Big_D]

Cause Jerry’s a schmuck. Even if that wasn't the reason, it should’ve been. The owners a clown who proceeded to run that team into the ground. Jerry was lost after Troy left and his attempt to fill the position at that time was a joke. He was only a few years into it, so you still had hope, but watching him bungle every possible move, you just knew this team was in trouble. Troy got out just in time!

 

[Ranched]

I thought Garrett put a hex on him.

 

[Golfzilla77]

From an old Cowboy fan since 1980, Troy was a hero to guys like me! I distinctly remember his retirement and final seasons very clearly. He was certainly more fragile than he had been earlier, and probably moved a bit slower. He still had a good arm, and he threw a lot of interceptions that I BELIEVE were as much the fault of the WR's as they were Troy's. They had that timing offense, and it seemed to me the receivers were out of place a lot. I don't recall that ever being brought up in broadcasts, but it's no coincidence that the absence of hard-working route-running guys like Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek hurt his passing stats late in his career. Troy could have made it with another team like the Dolphins, Eagles, or Chargers, but only if they had disciplined coaches and players.

And for comparison: Tom Brady, now considered the greatest of all time, is known as a disciplined player that lets his teammates know when they're slacking (Troy is caught regularly on tape cussing the heck out of everybody, but only after Jimmy left). And Brady benefitted from a coach that was very disciplined that also had the final word on player transactions. Troy and Brady have / had very similar styles, but one got a clown show in the 2nd half of his career, while the other got the benefit of 20 years of disciplined players via disciplined smart coaches (and an owner that knew to let the football brain make the decisions). Troy probably has selective memory, but everyone probably does. I'm glad he played for us, and glad i got to witness the 90's Cowboys greatness. We may never see the like again in Dallas.