Brett Romberg
Encyclopedia
Brett Christopher Romberg (born October 10, 1979) is an American football
center
for the Atlanta Falcons
of the National Football League
. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
at Miami
.
Romberg has also played for the St. Louis Rams
.
, Canada; Windsor is also the home of his former teammate O.J. Atogwe. Brett started his football career in the ninth grade playing for the Belle River District High School football
team coached by John Bloomfield.
at the University of Miami
where he was distinguished as the best center in the nation in 2002 and was awarded the Dave Rimington Trophy
.
With Romberg at center, the Hurricanes won 35 of 37 games, one National Championship, three BIG EAST Conference championships, a Sugar Bowl and a Rose Bowl.
Romberg never allowed a quarterback sack
at center and was part of an offensive line that helped produce three 1,000-yard rushers (James Jackson
, Clinton Portis
and Willis McGahee
), a quarterback
(Ken Dorsey
) who set every major UM career passing record and an offense that averaged more than 465 yards per game for the balance of his three years as the starting center.
, Romberg became the starting center for the St. Louis Rams
for a brief time in 2008, replacing Andy McCollum
, but he was replaced in 2009 by Jason Brown. In 2009, Romberg was a reserve offensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons. He was released by the Falcons on September 4, 2010.
Due to an injury to starting center Todd McClure
, the Falcons re-signed Romberg on August 30, 2011. However, he was released during final cuts on September 3, but was re-signed on September 12.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
for the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted free agent in 2003. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
.
Romberg has also played for the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
.
Early years
Brett is from Windsor, OntarioWindsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Canada; Windsor is also the home of his former teammate O.J. Atogwe. Brett started his football career in the ninth grade playing for the Belle River District High School football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team coached by John Bloomfield.
College career
Romberg played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
where he was distinguished as the best center in the nation in 2002 and was awarded the Dave Rimington Trophy
Dave Rimington Trophy
The Dave Rimington Trophy is awarded to the player considered to be the best center in college football. Dave Rimington was a center who played at the University of Nebraska from 1979-1982....
.
With Romberg at center, the Hurricanes won 35 of 37 games, one National Championship, three BIG EAST Conference championships, a Sugar Bowl and a Rose Bowl.
Romberg never allowed a quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
at center and was part of an offensive line that helped produce three 1,000-yard rushers (James Jackson
James Jackson (football player)
James Shurrade Jackson is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He played for the Cleveland Browns, the Green Bay Packers, and the Arizona Cardinals....
, Clinton Portis
Clinton Portis
Clinton Earl Portis is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
and Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
), a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
(Ken Dorsey
Ken Dorsey
Kenneth Simon "Ken" Dorsey is a former football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Miami. A two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami, Dorsey played for the Cleveland Browns from 2006–2008...
) who set every major UM career passing record and an offense that averaged more than 465 yards per game for the balance of his three years as the starting center.
Professional career
After a stint with the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Romberg became the starting center for the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
for a brief time in 2008, replacing Andy McCollum
Andy McCollum
Andrew Jon McCollum is an American football center who is currently a Free Agent. He was signed by the Milwaukee Mustangs as a street free agent in 1994. He played college football at Toledo....
, but he was replaced in 2009 by Jason Brown. In 2009, Romberg was a reserve offensive lineman for the Atlanta Falcons. He was released by the Falcons on September 4, 2010.
Due to an injury to starting center Todd McClure
Todd McClure
Todd McClure is an American football center for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Falcons in the seventh round of the 1999 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State....
, the Falcons re-signed Romberg on August 30, 2011. However, he was released during final cuts on September 3, but was re-signed on September 12.