As the Dallas Cowboys go through a transition period with Brian Schottenheimer taking over as head coach, one of the more respected voices as it pertains to NFL and Cowboys dialogue, Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, is one that was heard this week.

On Tuesday, he was on hand alongside quarterback Dak Prescott for the Children’s Cancer Fund event in Dallas to help raise awareness and funds for research, as he spoke on the current state of the franchise with Schottenheimer taking over ahead of a critical offseason for the team.

In a one-on-one interview with WFAA TV, Aikman shared his thoughts on the past, present, and future of the Dallas Cowboys, offering his perspective on Schottenheimer’s potential impact.

Former NFL player Troy Aikman walks on the field before the game

Aikman was asked the question, “What can running the football effectively do in terms of creating the right identity for the Cowboys?”

Aikman answered, “You look at the great offensive teams in the league today and that’s what they are, they are balanced and they can come at you in a lot of different ways and that’s Brian’s background.”

Aikman later continued his stance on why it is important to be a running team, saying, “I think it creates a toughness, it’s a mentality that I think really permeates throughout your entire building.

I think it’s hard to create a toughness and physicalness to your football team if you are not a running team.”

His emphasis on toughness and physicality highlights how a strong running game can help instill a certain mentality within the locker room, something that’s essential for success and has been lacking in the Dallas Cowboys locker room for awhile now.