Troy Aikman struggles to hold back tears live during MNF broadcast: Here's why

Troy Aikman, a long-time ESPN broadcaster and former Cowboys QB, struggled to hold back tears during the live broadcast of Monday Night Football game between the Eagles and Cowboys.

When his colleague in the booth talked about the recent passing of David Moulton, Aikman got emotional while recalling that Moulton had worked as a spotter alongside him for years.

“He was my right-hand man for those years at Fox covering golf,” Buck recalled his days with Davie, adding, “And Troy, he was your right-hand man in the booth for all these years of NFL coverage.”

“He will not be replaced in this booth,” Buck continued.

“No he will not,” Aikman responded while echoing Buck’s words before he became tearful.

“He was a fighter right up until the end, and…uh, sorry…I was just going to say, he left a hole in a lot of peoples’ hearts,” Aikman added.

Moulton's wife, Julie, announced his death on Saturday, October 24, in a heartfelt tribute post on social media.

”It is with a completely shattered heart broken into a million pieces I share that my loving husband David, died last night while in hospice care at the Douglas Centre for Caring,” Julie wrote.

Davie was struggling with stage four renal cell carcinoma for six long years.

Aikman, 59, is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who appeared for the Dallas Cowboys for 12 seasons and recently hinted that his broadcasting career could be taken away.

The legend QB has entered the final year of his contract with the network, where he spent over 25 years in TV broadcasting.