Tony Romo
Encyclopedia
Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo (born April 21, 1980) is a professional American football
quarterback
in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys
. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005. He replaced the Cowboys' previous starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe
during a game against the New York Giants
in the 2006 season.
, while his father was serving in the United States Navy
. His family returned to its home in Burlington, Wisconsin
. Romo's athletic ability was evident even at an early age when he was selected for the Little League
All-Star team.
Romo started as quarterback for the Burlington Demons
beginning as a junior (1996 season). During his junior season, he led the Demons to a SLC Conference record of 7–2 and the WIAA playoffs. In the 1996 playoffs, Romo and the Demons defeated Greenfield 17-6 before trouncing Badger 41–16. Romo came within one game of the state championship game but fell short in a last-minute 16-15 loss to Cudahy. After the 1996 season, he received Honorable Mention in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State Team.
Before his senior year of high school, BHS was realigned into the new SEC Conference along with the larger Racine
and Kenosha metro schools. In the 1997 season, Romo and the Demons finished with a 3–6 record, though he earned several honors, including the All-Racine County football team, Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State first team honors, as well as honors by the Racine Journal Times 1997 Player of the Year.
Romo was a multi-sport athlete during high school, and in addition to being a member of the football team, he also was a starter on the BHS varsity basketball team; he also played golf and tennis.
in Charleston
, Illinois
. As a sophomore in 2000, Romo ranked second in Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 164 of 278 (59%) passes for 2,583 yards and 27 touchdowns. After the season, he was honored as an All-America honorable mention, an All-Ohio Valley Conference
member, and the OVC Player of the Year. As a junior, he led Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 138-of-207 passes for 2,068 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was selected to the AP
All-America third team, All-Ohio Valley Conference first team and the OVC Player of the Year.
On December 19, 2002, Romo was the first player in Eastern Illinois and Ohio Valley Conference history to win the Walter Payton Award
, given annually to the Nation's top player at the NCAA Division I-AA level. He finished his career holding school and conference records with 85 touchdown passes. His last college game was a playoff loss to Western Illinois University
. He was second in school and third in conference history with 8,212 passing yards. He was also second in school history with 584 completions and 941 attempts. As a senior, he set school and conference records for completions with 258 in 407 attempts for 3,418 yards, ranked him second in conference and third in school history for a season. He threw for 34 touchdowns and scored one rushing touchdown. Romo's 3,149 yards in total offense as a senior ranked third in school and conference history. Along with the Walter Payton Award, Romo earned consensus All-America honors. He was also selected All-Ohio Valley Conference and was named OVC Player of the Year for the third straight year.
During homecoming
weekend on October 17, 2009, Eastern Illinois University retired Romo's No. 17 jersey and inducted him in to EIU’s Hall of Fame. Romo is the first Eastern Illinois player to have his number retired. He said of the event, "It was such an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame here, and with the jersey ceremony, it holds a special place in your heart."
, but, despite intriguing some scouts, went undrafted by any NFL team during the 2003 NFL Draft
. Throughout the draft, Romo was assured by Sean Payton
of the Cowboys' interest (Romo was also intensely pursued by former Denver Broncos
head coach Mike Shanahan
), and shortly afterwards was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent
by the Cowboys. Romo entered the 2003 training camp third on the Cowboys' depth chart behind Quincy Carter
and Chad Hutchinson
. In 2004, the Cowboys released quarterback Chad Hutchinson and signed veteran quarterback Vinny Testaverde
and traded a third round draft pick to the Houston Texans
for quarterback Drew Henson
. Romo faced being cut from the roster until Quincy Carter was released following allegations of substance abuse. After Vinny Testaverde's tenure in Dallas ended in 2005, the Cowboys signed veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe
, the eighth starting quarterback for the Cowboys since 2000.
One of Romo's early career highlights was in 2004, when (as the third string QB) he rushed for the winning touchdown with six seconds left in a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Elevated to the Cowboys' #2 quarterback in 2005, Romo had strong showings in the 2005 and 2006 pre-seasons. In the 2006 off-season, Sean Payton (now head coach of the New Orleans Saints
), offered a third round draft pick for Romo, but Jerry Jones
refused, asking for no less than a second round draft pick. Romo eventually took over the starting quarterback role from Drew Bledsoe during half time against the New York Giants
on October 23, 2006.
. He took his first regular season snap at quarterback in a home game against the Houston Texans
on October 15. His first NFL pass was a 33 yard completion to Sam Hurd
. His only other pass of the game was a two-yard touchdown pass, his first in the NFL, to Terrell Owens
.
One week later on October 23, 2006, Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe for the start of the second half of a game against the New York Giants. His first pass was tipped and intercepted. His game stats in only his second NFL appearance were: 14 completions on 25 attempts for 227 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown). Two days later, on October 25, Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells
announced that Romo would be the Cowboys starting quarterback for the October 29 game against the Carolina Panthers
on NBC Sunday Night Football
, in Week 8 of the 2006 season. Romo led the Cowboys to victory in his first game as a starter, 35–14. In that game, Romo was Sunday Night Footballs "Rock Star of the Game."
On November 19, 2006 Romo led the Cowboys past the Indianapolis Colts
, the NFL's last unbeaten team. Romo completed 19 of 23 passes as the Cowboys topped the Colts 21–14. Four days later, Romo helped the Cowboys win in a Thanksgiving Day NFL game
against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
by the score of 38–10. Romo went 22-29 with 306 yards and five touchdown passes with no interceptions. For his performance, he was awarded FOX's Galloping Gobbler
award as the Thanksgiving Day MVP.
Romo aided the Cowboys in clinching a playoff spot, the second since Bill Parcells became coach in 2003. He concluded the 2006 regular season with 220 completions on 337 pass attempts for 2,903 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, with a passer rating
of 95.1.
On January 6, 2007, the Dallas Cowboys traveled to Qwest Field
to play the Seattle Seahawks
in the NFC wild card playoff round. With the Cowboys down 21-20 and 1:19 left on the clock, Dallas attempted a 19-yard field goal. Romo botched the hold for the kicker by dropping the snap as he attempted to set it down. Romo then tried to run into the end zone for an impromptu touchdown, but was tackled at the one-yard line by Seattle defensive back Jordan Babineaux
. Seattle took over on their own one yard line. It is unusual for a starting quarterback to be the team's holder since the backup quarterback or punter normally performs that task. Romo had the job because he had begun the season as the backup quarterback. Romo finished the 2006 season ranked seventh in the NFC in passing yards (2,903) and touchdown passes (19).
Romo played in the 2007 Pro Bowl
after Drew Brees
went down with an elbow injury and Marc Bulger
was taken out. Romo threw one touchdown and one interception. Romo was the NFC's holder in the game.
Romo began the 2007 season with four touchdown passes and an additional touchdown rush, the first of his career, defeating the New York Giants 45–35 in the Cowboys' first game of the regular season
, His 345 passing yards in Week 1 led the NFL. In Week 2, Romo threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns beating the Dolphins in Miami, ranking him seventh in passing yards and tied for second with six touchdown passes. Romo added 329 passing yards and two touchdown passes in the Cowboys' Week 3 34–10 win in Chicago. The following week, he passed for 339 yards and three touchdowns in a 35–7 win over the St. Louis Rams
. He also ran for an additional touchdown. This brought his season totals to 1199 passing yards with 11 passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.
In Week 5 of the season on Monday Night Football
against the Buffalo Bills
, Romo threw five interceptions (four in the first half, two of which were returned for touchdowns), and lost a fumble. He is the second person in the history of Monday Night Football to throw five interceptions in a winning effort. The first person was his QB coach Wade Wilson. Nonetheless, he threw for 4,211 yards (third in the NFL) and 36 touchdown passes during the regular season (second only to Tom Brady
). His 97.4 passer rating was good enough for fifth in the NFL behind Brady, Ben Roethlisberger
, David Garrard
, and Peyton Manning
.
On October 29, Romo reached an agreement to a six-year, $67.5 million contract extension with the Cowboys.
On November 29 against the Green Bay Packers
, in a game between 10–1 teams, Romo threw four touchdown passes (bringing his season total to 33), breaking Danny White's (29) record from 1983. On December 22 against the Carolina Panthers, Romo became the first Cowboys' quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season. Finally on December 30 against the Washington Redskins
, Romo broke the Cowboys' season completions record with his 335th completion, a short pass to Jason Witten
. The Cowboys finished the season with a 13-3 record.
In the Cowboys' January 13, 2008 Division playoff game against the New York Giants, Romo was unable to lead his team to a come-from-behind victory. On 4th down with less than half a minute and no timeouts left, Romo threw the ball into the endzone, but it was intercepted by Giants cornerback R. W. McQuarters
, ensuring that the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs with a 21–17 loss.
in their season opener. Romo completed 24 of his 32 passes for a total of 320 yards and one touchdown. After the game, Romo required 13 stitches for a large gash on his chin that occurred during the 3rd quarter when linebacker Willie McGinest
hit Romo in the chin with his helmet.
On September 15, 2008, Romo led the Dallas Cowboys to a 41–37 win against the Philadelphia Eagles
in the second game of the 2008 season. Romo completed 21 of his 30 passes for a total of 312 yards and three touchdowns. The 54 combined points scored by the Cowboys and Eagles in the first half were the second most scored in a half during a Monday Night Football
game.
Romo and the Cowboys would win their third straight before losing to the Washington Redskins, falling to 3–1. Following a win against the Cincinnati Bengals
, Romo was injured in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals
. The Cowboys, under Brad Johnson
, went 1–2 the next three games, falling to the St. Louis Rams, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, and losing to the New York Giants.
In what became a de facto third playoff game for Romo shortly prior to its start, on December 28, 2008, Romo and the Cowboys failed to compete against the Philadelphia Eagles
in a 44–6 loss. Romo committed three turnovers in the game and went 21/39 for 183 yards and no touchdowns. The loss dropped Romo's combined record in December to 5–8 and again raised questions concerning Romo's performance in games of consequence.
Romo and the Cowboys were defeated in week 2 against the New York Giants in the Cowboys home opener at their new Cowboys stadium. Romo completed 13 of 29 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. He also threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown for the Giants. The loss led the media as well as other former Cowboys including hall of famer Tony Dorsett further criticizing Romo and his performances in big games.
Romo was quoted as saying "We came out stale" against a Denver Bronco team that thoroughly shut down his teams passing and running attacks. But he was successful in completing a 53 yard pass to Sam Hurd at the end of the second half but failed on the following three plays to get the ball in the endzone which would have taken the game into overtime. He was quoted as saying, "we need to get better."
In a December road game against the division rival New York Giants, Romo passed for a career high 392 yards, along with three touchdown passes in a losing effort.
After several kicks were missed by kicker Nick Folk
due to bad holds by punter Mat McBriar
, Romo resumed holding duties for the first time since the 2006 in their 13th game of the season, versus the San Diego Chargers
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/121009dnspocowdate.3d4f48d.html
In week 15, Romo led the Cowboys to a win against an undefeated team late in the season for the second time in his career. In 2006, he won against the 10-0 Colts, and on 19 December 2009, he defeated the 13-0 Saints at New Orleans, throwing for 312 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
Romo finished the 2009 season as the first quarterback in team history to take every snap for a full season. He also passed his own mark for single season passing yardage, with 4,483 yards, and became the first Cowboys quarterback to throw 20+ touchdowns and less than ten interceptions in a season. His eight 300 yard games was also a team record, surpassing his own record from 2007. His 1.6% interception percentage tied a team record, and his career interception percentage is now the lowest in franchise history.
The Dallas Cowboys became the NFC East division champions with their season finale shutout of the Philadelphia Eagles, the second division title in Romo's three full seasons as the starting quarterback.
Romo had a 104.9 passer rating in a 34-14 win of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs, earning the first play-off win in 13 years for the Dallas Cowboys, and his own first career post-season win.
However the following week in the NFC divisional rounds against the number two seed Minnesota Vikings, Romo had three fumbles (losing two), an interception and was sacked six times in the 34-3 loss.
, who also had a 1-3 record and were in need of a win. Romo threw for over 200 yards and 3 TDs but also threw 2 costly interceptions. The Cowboys went on the lose the game by a score of 24-21.
During the October 25, 2010 Monday Night Football
game against the New York Giants
, Romo suffered a broken left clavicle. The injury occurred during the second quarter, when Romo was driven to the turf by Giants linebacker
Michael Boley
. He was placed on Injured Reserve on December 21, 2010 and replaced by veteran John Kitna.
on his right hand (throwing hand) during overtime in an early season loss to the Arizona Cardinals
. He missed the following three games with the injury.
Shortly after the Cowboys 2008 Season-ending loss to the Philadelphia Eagles
, Romo collapsed in the visiting team showers from an apparent rib injury.
During the October 25, 2010 Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, Romo suffered a broken left clavicle. The injury occurred during the second quarter, when Romo was driven to the turf by Giants linebacker Michael Boley
.
In the first quarter of a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Romo took a hard hit that fractured a rib and punctured his lung. He was replaced for two possessions by back-up quarterback Jon Kitna
, but returned to lead the team to an overtime victory. He played the next six games with a kevlar vest for extra protection on the injury.
er, and attempted to qualify for the 2004 EDS Byron Nelson Championship
and the 2005 U.S. Open
, but failed. During the offseason, when not training, he plays golf around Dallas
. He failed to make the cut in qualifying for Byron Nelson in 2008.
Romo is also a frequent guest on national sports radio
programs. During the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he was the co-host of "Inside The Huddle", a one-hour player commentary show that aired on local talk radio in Dallas along with linebacker Bradie James
. Romo was replaced for the 2008 season by (then) Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens. The show is broadcast on the KLLI
radio station in Dallas.
In November 2007, Romo began dating singer and actress Jessica Simpson
. On December 16, 2007, Simpson attended a Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles game at Texas Stadium
, in which Romo had a bad performance in the loss to the Eagles. Further controversy erupted before the playoff game against the New York Giants when pictures surfaced of Romo (along with teammates Jason Witten and Bobby Carpenter) at a resort in Cabo San Lucas with Simpson.
On July 13, 2009, People
reported that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson had called it quits. A source close to the pop star told the magazine that Romo broke up with Simpson on July 9, 2009—the night before her 29th birthday.
Romo is a second generation Mexican American
on his father's side and is of German
and Polish descent from his mother's side. His grandfather, Ramiro Romo Sr., emigrated from Múzquiz, Coahuila, Mexico, to San Antonio, Texas
, as an adolescent. The elder Romo cites Tony's success as an example of the possibilities afforded to immigrants in the United States
: "I've always said this is a country of opportunities. If you don't get a job or an education, it's because you don't want to."
In September 2007, Romo's father was diagnosed with prostate cancer
. Tony Romo has stated that, while upset about the family crisis, he still must continue to focus on his career.
In September 2008 Romo signed a 5 year long, $10 million endorsement deal with apparel marketer Starter
.
He has been dating former Miss Missouri USA
(2008) Candice Crawford
since the summer of 2009. On December 16, 2010, the KDAF
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas news station where Crawford works, announced she became engaged to Romo while celebrating her 24th birthday with her family at the restaurant Five Sixty. They were married on May 28, 2011.
On October 25, 2011, Romo announced that he and Crawford are expecting their first child in 2012.
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...
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...
in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.8 - ranks third-best all time. Tony Romo didn't play in the regular season in 2003, 2004, or 2005. He replaced the Cowboys' previous starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
during a game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2006 season.
Early years
Romo was born in San Diego, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, while his father was serving in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. His family returned to its home in Burlington, Wisconsin
Burlington, Wisconsin
Burlington is a city in Racine and Walworth counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, with the majority of the city located in Racine County. The population was 10,421 at the 2009 census.-History:...
. Romo's athletic ability was evident even at an early age when he was selected for the Little League
Little League
Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...
All-Star team.
Romo started as quarterback for the Burlington Demons
Burlington High School (Wisconsin)
Burlington High School is the largest high school in Burlington, Wisconsin and the only high school in the Burlington Area School District. The school's mascot is the Demon, which takes after the ex-principal Dr. Barbara Kopack-Hill, and the school colors are orange and black...
beginning as a junior (1996 season). During his junior season, he led the Demons to a SLC Conference record of 7–2 and the WIAA playoffs. In the 1996 playoffs, Romo and the Demons defeated Greenfield 17-6 before trouncing Badger 41–16. Romo came within one game of the state championship game but fell short in a last-minute 16-15 loss to Cudahy. After the 1996 season, he received Honorable Mention in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State Team.
Before his senior year of high school, BHS was realigned into the new SEC Conference along with the larger Racine
Racine, Wisconsin
Racine is a city in and the county seat of Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196...
and Kenosha metro schools. In the 1997 season, Romo and the Demons finished with a 3–6 record, though he earned several honors, including the All-Racine County football team, Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State first team honors, as well as honors by the Racine Journal Times 1997 Player of the Year.
Romo was a multi-sport athlete during high school, and in addition to being a member of the football team, he also was a starter on the BHS varsity basketball team; he also played golf and tennis.
College career
Romo played college football at Eastern Illinois UniversityEastern Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University is a state university located in Charleston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a comprehensive university with a...
in Charleston
Charleston, Illinois
Charleston is a city in and the county seat of Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 21,838 as of the 2010 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor Mattoon, Illinois...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. As a sophomore in 2000, Romo ranked second in Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 164 of 278 (59%) passes for 2,583 yards and 27 touchdowns. After the season, he was honored as an All-America honorable mention, an All-Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
member, and the OVC Player of the Year. As a junior, he led Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 138-of-207 passes for 2,068 yards and 21 touchdowns. He was selected to the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-America third team, All-Ohio Valley Conference first team and the OVC Player of the Year.
On December 19, 2002, Romo was the first player in Eastern Illinois and Ohio Valley Conference history to win the Walter Payton Award
Walter Payton Award
The Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors...
, given annually to the Nation's top player at the NCAA Division I-AA level. He finished his career holding school and conference records with 85 touchdown passes. His last college game was a playoff loss to Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
. He was second in school and third in conference history with 8,212 passing yards. He was also second in school history with 584 completions and 941 attempts. As a senior, he set school and conference records for completions with 258 in 407 attempts for 3,418 yards, ranked him second in conference and third in school history for a season. He threw for 34 touchdowns and scored one rushing touchdown. Romo's 3,149 yards in total offense as a senior ranked third in school and conference history. Along with the Walter Payton Award, Romo earned consensus All-America honors. He was also selected All-Ohio Valley Conference and was named OVC Player of the Year for the third straight year.
During homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
weekend on October 17, 2009, Eastern Illinois University retired Romo's No. 17 jersey and inducted him in to EIU’s Hall of Fame. Romo is the first Eastern Illinois player to have his number retired. He said of the event, "It was such an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame here, and with the jersey ceremony, it holds a special place in your heart."
Awards and honors
- 3× All-OVCOhio Valley ConferenceThe Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
(2000–2002) - 3× OVC Player of the Year (2000–2002)
- 3× All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n (2000–2002) - Walter Payton AwardWalter Payton AwardThe Walter Payton Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding offensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football as chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors...
(2002)
Dallas Cowboys
Romo attended the 2003 NFL CombineNFL Combine
The National Invitational Camp or NFL Scouting Combine, as it is more widely known, is a week-long showcase, occurring every February in Indianapolis, Indiana's Lucas Oil Stadium , where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general...
, but, despite intriguing some scouts, went undrafted by any NFL team during the 2003 NFL Draft
2003 NFL Draft
The 2003 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936. The draft was held April 26–27, 2003 at the Theatre at...
. Throughout the draft, Romo was assured by Sean Payton
Sean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton is the current head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University and played professionally in 1987 and 1988...
of the Cowboys' interest (Romo was also intensely pursued by former Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
head coach Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
), and shortly afterwards was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
by the Cowboys. Romo entered the 2003 training camp third on the Cowboys' depth chart behind Quincy Carter
Quincy Carter
Lavonya Quintelle "Quincy" Carter is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys...
and Chad Hutchinson
Chad Hutchinson
Chad Martin Hutchinson is a retired National Football League quarterback and Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and the St. Louis Cardinals of the MLB...
. In 2004, the Cowboys released quarterback Chad Hutchinson and signed veteran quarterback Vinny Testaverde
Vinny Testaverde
Vincent Frank Testaverde is a former NFL quarterback. Testaverde last played for the Carolina Panthers and had previously played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots. Testaverde holds the NFL record for having...
and traded a third round draft pick to the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for quarterback Drew Henson
Drew Henson
Drew Daniel Henson is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and National Football League quarterback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
. Romo faced being cut from the roster until Quincy Carter was released following allegations of substance abuse. After Vinny Testaverde's tenure in Dallas ended in 2005, the Cowboys signed veteran quarterback Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
, the eighth starting quarterback for the Cowboys since 2000.
One of Romo's early career highlights was in 2004, when (as the third string QB) he rushed for the winning touchdown with six seconds left in a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. Elevated to the Cowboys' #2 quarterback in 2005, Romo had strong showings in the 2005 and 2006 pre-seasons. In the 2006 off-season, Sean Payton (now head coach of the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
), offered a third round draft pick for Romo, but Jerry Jones
Jerry Jones
Jerral "Jerry" Wayne Jones is the owner and general manager of the NFL team, the Dallas Cowboys.-Early life:Jones was born in Los Angeles, California. His family moved to North Little Rock, Arkansas when he was an infant. Jones was a star running back at North Little Rock High School...
refused, asking for no less than a second round draft pick. Romo eventually took over the starting quarterback role from Drew Bledsoe during half time against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 23, 2006.
2006 season
Romo began the season as a backup to starter Drew BledsoeDrew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
. He took his first regular season snap at quarterback in a home game against the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on October 15. His first NFL pass was a 33 yard completion to Sam Hurd
Sam Hurd
Samuel George Hurd, III is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League.-Early life:...
. His only other pass of the game was a two-yard touchdown pass, his first in the NFL, to Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
.
One week later on October 23, 2006, Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe for the start of the second half of a game against the New York Giants. His first pass was tipped and intercepted. His game stats in only his second NFL appearance were: 14 completions on 25 attempts for 227 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown). Two days later, on October 25, Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
announced that Romo would be the Cowboys starting quarterback for the October 29 game against the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
on NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football
NBC Sunday Night Football is a weekly television broadcast of Sunday evening National Football League games on NBC that began airing on Sunday, August 6, 2006 with the pre-season opening Hall of Fame Game. Al Michaels serves as the play-by-play announcer, with Cris Collinsworth as the color...
, in Week 8 of the 2006 season. Romo led the Cowboys to victory in his first game as a starter, 35–14. In that game, Romo was Sunday Night Footballs "Rock Star of the Game."
On November 19, 2006 Romo led the Cowboys past the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, the NFL's last unbeaten team. Romo completed 19 of 23 passes as the Cowboys topped the Colts 21–14. Four days later, Romo helped the Cowboys win in a Thanksgiving Day NFL game
Thanksgiving Classic
The National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...
against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
by the score of 38–10. Romo went 22-29 with 306 yards and five touchdown passes with no interceptions. For his performance, he was awarded FOX's Galloping Gobbler
Galloping Gobbler
The name Galloping Gobbler can refer to:*The annual Turkey Trot in Fort Wayne, Indiana*A most valuable player award given for NFL Thanksgiving games, see Thanksgiving Classic#Game MVPs...
award as the Thanksgiving Day MVP.
Romo aided the Cowboys in clinching a playoff spot, the second since Bill Parcells became coach in 2003. He concluded the 2006 regular season with 220 completions on 337 pass attempts for 2,903 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, with a passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 95.1.
On January 6, 2007, the Dallas Cowboys traveled to Qwest Field
Qwest Field
CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer...
to play the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the NFC wild card playoff round. With the Cowboys down 21-20 and 1:19 left on the clock, Dallas attempted a 19-yard field goal. Romo botched the hold for the kicker by dropping the snap as he attempted to set it down. Romo then tried to run into the end zone for an impromptu touchdown, but was tackled at the one-yard line by Seattle defensive back Jordan Babineaux
Jordan Babineaux
Jordan Jude Babineaux is an American football safety for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2004 out of Southern Arkansas University....
. Seattle took over on their own one yard line. It is unusual for a starting quarterback to be the team's holder since the backup quarterback or punter normally performs that task. Romo had the job because he had begun the season as the backup quarterback. Romo finished the 2006 season ranked seventh in the NFC in passing yards (2,903) and touchdown passes (19).
Romo played in the 2007 Pro Bowl
2007 Pro Bowl
The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
after Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
went down with an elbow injury and Marc Bulger
Marc Bulger
Marc Robert Bulger [] is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
was taken out. Romo threw one touchdown and one interception. Romo was the NFC's holder in the game.
2007 season
Romo began the 2007 season with four touchdown passes and an additional touchdown rush, the first of his career, defeating the New York Giants 45–35 in the Cowboys' first game of the regular season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, His 345 passing yards in Week 1 led the NFL. In Week 2, Romo threw for 186 yards and two touchdowns beating the Dolphins in Miami, ranking him seventh in passing yards and tied for second with six touchdown passes. Romo added 329 passing yards and two touchdown passes in the Cowboys' Week 3 34–10 win in Chicago. The following week, he passed for 339 yards and three touchdowns in a 35–7 win over 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,...
. He also ran for an additional touchdown. This brought his season totals to 1199 passing yards with 11 passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns.
In Week 5 of the season on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Romo threw five interceptions (four in the first half, two of which were returned for touchdowns), and lost a fumble. He is the second person in the history of Monday Night Football to throw five interceptions in a winning effort. The first person was his QB coach Wade Wilson. Nonetheless, he threw for 4,211 yards (third in the NFL) and 36 touchdown passes during the regular season (second only to Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
). His 97.4 passer rating was good enough for fifth in the NFL behind Brady, Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger
Benjamin Todd "Ben" Roethlisberger , nicknamed Big Ben, is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
, and Peyton Manning
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
.
On October 29, Romo reached an agreement to a six-year, $67.5 million contract extension with the Cowboys.
On November 29 against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, in a game between 10–1 teams, Romo threw four touchdown passes (bringing his season total to 33), breaking Danny White's (29) record from 1983. On December 22 against the Carolina Panthers, Romo became the first Cowboys' quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season. Finally on December 30 against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, Romo broke the Cowboys' season completions record with his 335th completion, a short pass to Jason Witten
Jason Witten
Christopher Jason Witten is an American football tight end who plays for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Tennessee....
. The Cowboys finished the season with a 13-3 record.
In the Cowboys' January 13, 2008 Division playoff game against the New York Giants, Romo was unable to lead his team to a come-from-behind victory. On 4th down with less than half a minute and no timeouts left, Romo threw the ball into the endzone, but it was intercepted by Giants cornerback R. W. McQuarters
R. W. McQuarters
Robert William McQuarters, II, born December 21, 1976 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is an American football cornerback who most recently played for the New York Giants. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
, ensuring that the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs with a 21–17 loss.
2008 season
On September 7, 2008, Romo led the Cowboys to a 28–10 win over the Cleveland BrownsCleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in their season opener. Romo completed 24 of his 32 passes for a total of 320 yards and one touchdown. After the game, Romo required 13 stitches for a large gash on his chin that occurred during the 3rd quarter when linebacker Willie McGinest
Willie McGinest
William Lee "Willie" McGinest, Jr. is a retired American football linebacker in the National Football League.-Early life and career:...
hit Romo in the chin with his helmet.
On September 15, 2008, Romo led the Dallas Cowboys to a 41–37 win against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second game of the 2008 season. Romo completed 21 of his 30 passes for a total of 312 yards and three touchdowns. The 54 combined points scored by the Cowboys and Eagles in the first half were the second most scored in a half during a Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game.
Romo and the Cowboys would win their third straight before losing to the Washington Redskins, falling to 3–1. Following a win against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, Romo was injured in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Cowboys, under Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
, went 1–2 the next three games, falling to the St. Louis Rams, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, and losing to the New York Giants.
In what became a de facto third playoff game for Romo shortly prior to its start, on December 28, 2008, Romo and the Cowboys failed to compete against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a 44–6 loss. Romo committed three turnovers in the game and went 21/39 for 183 yards and no touchdowns. The loss dropped Romo's combined record in December to 5–8 and again raised questions concerning Romo's performance in games of consequence.
2009 season
Romo led the Cowboys to a 34–21 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their season opener. Romo completed 16 of his 27 passes for a then-career high 353 yards along with three touchdowns.Romo and the Cowboys were defeated in week 2 against the New York Giants in the Cowboys home opener at their new Cowboys stadium. Romo completed 13 of 29 passes for 127 yards and one touchdown. He also threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown for the Giants. The loss led the media as well as other former Cowboys including hall of famer Tony Dorsett further criticizing Romo and his performances in big games.
Romo was quoted as saying "We came out stale" against a Denver Bronco team that thoroughly shut down his teams passing and running attacks. But he was successful in completing a 53 yard pass to Sam Hurd at the end of the second half but failed on the following three plays to get the ball in the endzone which would have taken the game into overtime. He was quoted as saying, "we need to get better."
In a December road game against the division rival New York Giants, Romo passed for a career high 392 yards, along with three touchdown passes in a losing effort.
After several kicks were missed by kicker Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
due to bad holds by punter Mat McBriar
Mat McBriar
Mat McBriar is an Australian American football punter in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys.-Early years:McBriar began as an Australian rules football player, playing Australian rules for Brighton Grammar School...
, Romo resumed holding duties for the first time since the 2006 in their 13th game of the season, versus the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/121009dnspocowdate.3d4f48d.html
In week 15, Romo led the Cowboys to a win against an undefeated team late in the season for the second time in his career. In 2006, he won against the 10-0 Colts, and on 19 December 2009, he defeated the 13-0 Saints at New Orleans, throwing for 312 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
Romo finished the 2009 season as the first quarterback in team history to take every snap for a full season. He also passed his own mark for single season passing yardage, with 4,483 yards, and became the first Cowboys quarterback to throw 20+ touchdowns and less than ten interceptions in a season. His eight 300 yard games was also a team record, surpassing his own record from 2007. His 1.6% interception percentage tied a team record, and his career interception percentage is now the lowest in franchise history.
The Dallas Cowboys became the NFC East division champions with their season finale shutout of the Philadelphia Eagles, the second division title in Romo's three full seasons as the starting quarterback.
Romo had a 104.9 passer rating in a 34-14 win of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs, earning the first play-off win in 13 years for the Dallas Cowboys, and his own first career post-season win.
However the following week in the NFC divisional rounds against the number two seed Minnesota Vikings, Romo had three fumbles (losing two), an interception and was sacked six times in the 34-3 loss.
2010 season
In Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, Romo threw for a career-high 406 yards and three touchdowns. However, he threw two costly interceptions in the 4th quarter, resulting in 34-27 loss at Cowboys Stadium. Romo and the Cowboys were desperate for a win with a record of 1-3 and last in the division. They played against the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, who also had a 1-3 record and were in need of a win. Romo threw for over 200 yards and 3 TDs but also threw 2 costly interceptions. The Cowboys went on the lose the game by a score of 24-21.
During the October 25, 2010 Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Romo suffered a broken left clavicle. The injury occurred during the second quarter, when Romo was driven to the turf by Giants linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Michael Boley
Michael Boley
Michael Boley is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Miss.-Early years:Boley played high school football for Elkmont High...
. He was placed on Injured Reserve on December 21, 2010 and replaced by veteran John Kitna.
Career
- #3 All-Time Career Passer Rating: 96.1
- #4 All-Time Yards Per Attempt: 8.1
Career
- Games with 3+ touchdown passes: 22 (Previously held by Danny WhiteDanny WhiteWilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
with 20) - Games with 300+ yards passing: 31 (previously held by Troy AikmanTroy AikmanTroy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
with 13) - Lowest career interception percentage: 2.86% (minimum 16 starts; previously held by Aikman)
Season
- Games with 300+ yards passing: 8 (2009)
- Passing TDs: 36 (2007); previously held by Danny WhiteDanny WhiteWilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
with 29 - Passing yards: 4,483 (2009); only Cowboys' quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season (2007. 2009)
- Completions: 347 (2009); previously held by Romo with 335
- Consecutive games with a TD pass: 20 (2010-11); previously held by Danny White
Game
- On Nov 23, 2006, Romo threw 5 TD passes in a game, a record he shares with Troy Aikman.
- On Nov 13, 2011, Romo completed a team record 88.5% of his passes in a home game against the Buffalo Bills.
Injuries
During the 2008 season, Romo broke the little fingerLittle finger
The little finger, often called the pinky in American English, pinkie in Scottish English , or small finger in medicine, is the most ulnar and usually smallest finger of the human hand, opposite the thumb, next to the ring finger.-Muscles:There are four muscles that...
on his right hand (throwing hand) during overtime in an early season loss to the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He missed the following three games with the injury.
Shortly after the Cowboys 2008 Season-ending loss to the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Romo collapsed in the visiting team showers from an apparent rib injury.
During the October 25, 2010 Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, Romo suffered a broken left clavicle. The injury occurred during the second quarter, when Romo was driven to the turf by Giants linebacker Michael Boley
Michael Boley
Michael Boley is an American football linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the fifth round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Miss.-Early years:Boley played high school football for Elkmont High...
.
In the first quarter of a game against the San Francisco 49ers, Romo took a hard hit that fractured a rib and punctured his lung. He was replaced for two possessions by back-up quarterback Jon Kitna
Jon Kitna
Jon K. Kitna is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1996...
, but returned to lead the team to an overtime victory. He played the next six games with a kevlar vest for extra protection on the injury.
Personal life
Romo is an avid amateur golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er, and attempted to qualify for the 2004 EDS Byron Nelson Championship
EDS Byron Nelson Championship
The HP Byron Nelson Championship is a golf tournament on the PGA Tour. The tournament is held in late April / early May at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas in Irving, Texas, USA...
and the 2005 U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
, but failed. During the offseason, when not training, he plays golf around Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. He failed to make the cut in qualifying for Byron Nelson in 2008.
Romo is also a frequent guest on national sports radio
Sports radio
Sports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
programs. During the 2006 and 2007 seasons, he was the co-host of "Inside The Huddle", a one-hour player commentary show that aired on local talk radio in Dallas along with linebacker Bradie James
Bradie James
Bradie Gene James is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-High school career :...
. Romo was replaced for the 2008 season by (then) Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens. The show is broadcast on the KLLI
KLLI
KRLD-FM is a sports talk radio station serving the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, Metroplex. KRLD-FM is owned by CBS Radio. It also re-transmits on Washington D.C. sister station WJFK-FM 106.7 HD-2 through a secured internet feed....
radio station in Dallas.
In November 2007, Romo began dating singer and actress Jessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson
Jessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
. On December 16, 2007, Simpson attended a Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles game at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
, in which Romo had a bad performance in the loss to the Eagles. Further controversy erupted before the playoff game against the New York Giants when pictures surfaced of Romo (along with teammates Jason Witten and Bobby Carpenter) at a resort in Cabo San Lucas with Simpson.
On July 13, 2009, People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
reported that Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson had called it quits. A source close to the pop star told the magazine that Romo broke up with Simpson on July 9, 2009—the night before her 29th birthday.
Romo is a second generation Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
on his father's side and is of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and Polish descent from his mother's side. His grandfather, Ramiro Romo Sr., emigrated from Múzquiz, Coahuila, Mexico, to San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, as an adolescent. The elder Romo cites Tony's success as an example of the possibilities afforded to immigrants in the United States
Immigration to the United States
Immigration to the United States has been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of the history of the United States. The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants,...
: "I've always said this is a country of opportunities. If you don't get a job or an education, it's because you don't want to."
In September 2007, Romo's father was diagnosed with prostate cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
. Tony Romo has stated that, while upset about the family crisis, he still must continue to focus on his career.
In September 2008 Romo signed a 5 year long, $10 million endorsement deal with apparel marketer Starter
Starter Clothing Line
-Rise and expansion:Starter was founded in 1971 in New Haven, Connecticut by David Beckerman, a former basketball player for Southern Connecticut State University, to manufacture team uniforms for high school athletic programs....
.
He has been dating former Miss Missouri USA
Miss Missouri USA
The Miss Missouri USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Missouri in the Miss USA pageant. In 1993, Missouri joined the Vanbros group of state pageants for the Miss USA and Teen USA system....
(2008) Candice Crawford
Candice Crawford
Candice Loren Romo is a former reporter for KDAF, the CW-affiliate in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas and a former American beauty queen. She won the Miss Missouri USA competition in 2008...
since the summer of 2009. On December 16, 2010, the KDAF
KDAF
KDAF, virtual channel 33 , is a CW-affiliated television station serving the Dallas-Fort Worth television market area. The station is licensed to Dallas and owned by the Tribune Company with its studios located off the John W. Carpenter Freeway in northwest Dallas. The station's transmitter is...
Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas news station where Crawford works, announced she became engaged to Romo while celebrating her 24th birthday with her family at the restaurant Five Sixty. They were married on May 28, 2011.
On October 25, 2011, Romo announced that he and Crawford are expecting their first child in 2012.