Is Troy Aikman The Cowboys Next GM? Shares Similarities With Elway

Nov 11, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Troy Aikman (R) talks with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) during warmups prior to playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Those of you who watch ESPN on a regular basis might have seen the blurb about Dallas Cowboys great Roger Staubach commenting that he would think it a good thing if his fellow Cowboys QB alum Troy Aikman were to become the GM in Dallas. While the comment was reportedly made during a speaking engagement and not as a plea to Jerry, it got yours truly thinking about just how qualified Aikman might be to join the Cowboys front office. As it turns out, he has quite a lot in common with another former NFL star who took the helm of his former franchise…John Elway. In addition to both being the #1 gridiron draft pick out of college, Elway from Stanford and Aikman from UCLA, the two were also drafted by major league baseball teams right out of high school. Elway was selected in 1979 by the Kansas City Royals, while Aikman was picked by the New York Mets. Elway also had a chance to become a New York Yankee in 1981. When it comes to the business side of sports, Elway was co-owner of the Colorado Crush arena football team after retirement. Aikman would later become part-owner of baseball’s San Diego Padres. Both have been active in the automobile industry. Elway parlayed his ownership of five dealerships into a multi-million dollar deal and still reportedly owns four dealerships. Aikman was the owner of Troy Aikman Ford for a short time. However, his most famous venture into vehicles came when he teamed with Staubach to form Hall of Fame Racing in 2004. The two secured a deal with Texas Instruments and were able to debut the #96 DLP Technology car in the Daytona 500 in 2006. Elway and Aikman each have the distinction of playing their entire careers with the same team and were instrumental in bringing Super Bowl glory to the Broncos and Cowboys, respectively. Elway’s #7 jersey has been retired by the Broncos and his name is included in the team’s Ring of Fame. Aikman was the signal-caller for three Super Bowl championship teams in Big-D and was inducted into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2005. Of course, both hold multiple records for their franchises and have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Aikman has become one-half of arguably the best commentating team in professional football today and called the Super Bowl on February 2 when Elway’s Broncos were torched by the Seattle Seahawks. That loss aside, the Broncos have enjoyed a resurgence to football prominence with Elway in the front office. Could Aikman do the same in Dallas. The not-so-silent elephant in the room for the Cowboys would be our owner, Jerry Jones. Therein lies the major difference between Aikman and Elway’s former teams. Denver’s owner, Pat Bowlen, chooses to say out of the spotlight and take a seemingly hands-off approach. This leaves his executive vice president of football operations, Elway, with the freedom to make decisions that are necessary for the team’s success. History says that it is highly unlikely that Jones would do the same if Aikman came on board. Although he would probably prove an asset to the Cowboys organization, if I were Troy, I’d keep my cushy job in the booth and avoid more head trauma dealing with Jerry than he suffered during his entire career.