If you watched Monday Night Football, you may have seen Troy Aikman become emotional during a tribute. He was honoring David Moulton, a longtime spotter and researcher who worked beside him for years. His wife, Julie, announced that Moulton died after a six-year fight with stage four renal cell cancer. Here is who he was and what Aikman said about him.
Troy Aikman was visibly emotional during ESPN's Monday Night Football broadcast of the Cowboys–Eagles game. Aikman and Joe Buck honored Moulton, their longtime colleague, during the broadcast. Moulton was 59. A tribute from a CBS colleague said Moulton had been a researcher and spotter on the network's college football crew since 2006. Renal cell cancer is a form of kidney cancer.
The practical point for viewers is the job Moulton did. A spotter helps the on-air team identify players and details during a live game, so much of his work happened off camera. The tribute recognized that work. Fans who want to know more about how the booth works can read about how football broadcast crews work.
Aikman's Instagram post called Moulton his right-hand man in the broadcast booth since 2018. It described him as loyal, dependable and a warrior until the very end. He wrote that Moulton "deserved better." Moulton had also worked as a spotter for Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on Fox Sports' NFL coverage. For more on his broadcasting career, see Troy Aikman's Monday Night Football career.
Who was David Moulton? He was a longtime spotter and researcher for football broadcasts, and a sports radio host in Southwest Florida. He co-hosted Miller and Moulton with Mark Miller for about 20 years. He stayed on the air until the summer, when he stepped away to focus on his health. He also worked for SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio and NFL Radio. He worked beside Aikman during games and on Fox NFL coverage, according to colleagues and reports. He died in hospice care, his wife wrote. The cancer had spread to his bones about two years before he died.
Aikman wrote that Moulton deserved better. He also wrote that what started as a professional relationship became a friendship he cherished.
David Moulton, 59, was a longtime spotter and researcher for football broadcasts. He died after a six-year fight with stage four renal cell cancer, his wife said. Troy Aikman paid tribute on Monday Night Football and called Moulton his right-hand man in the broadcast booth since 2018.
