Troy Aikman confesses about his "ridiculous" daily routine to protect brain after surviving 10 career concussions

Troy Aikman confesses about his “ridiculous” daily routine to protect brain after surviving 10 career concussions originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Troy Aikman took some brutal hits during his 12 years playing quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, racking up 10 documented concussions before he finally retired in 2001. Things got scary toward the end of his career when he suffered four concussions in just his last 20 starts. Aikman still calls two of those injuries severe. 

Back then, the NFL didn’t consider those head traumas as seriously as it does now, so he was constantly thrown back into games without any of the medical protocols or safety checks that players get today.

The best example happened during the 1993 NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers. Aikman took a knee to the head from a 49ers defender. According to reports, the hit caused temporary amnesia. He had to watch the film later just to see what happened.

Now at 58, Aikman openly admits he thinks about the long-term effects from time to time, but he doesn’t let it ruin his life. 

“[To] say that I don’t think about it from time to time would be less than honest, but I have been tested very well,” Aikman said during a recent interview with Dallas Dialogue with Dale. “I’m acutely aware of if I feel that where my memory is or head issues or things of that nature that some of these players are going through — unfortunately, some of my former teammates have been dealt some tough hands.”

Aikman actively stays ahead of potential issues. He views his weekly game preparation and broadcasting duties as a mental checkup. Off the air, he commits heavily to a strict health regimen.

“I’ve kind of tried to be proactive. I’m totally into all the biohacking. I mean, it’s ridiculous what my day involves to try to remain as healthy as I possibly can. And I think that that helps as well. I think lifestyle plays into it as well. But up to this point, I feel good. I’ve had no issues whatsoever,” Aikman added.

Aikman led the Cowboys to three Super Bowl titles in the ’90s and even took home a Super Bowl MVP. When he retired in April 2001, he actually blamed a bad back as the main reason he walked away and started his broadcasting career. 

He spent 20 years as the top NFL announcer for Fox Sports before jumping to ESPN’s Monday Night Football in 2022, where he still calls games with Joe Buck

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