TONY ROMO

'Antonio Ramiro Romo' (born April 21 1980 in San Diego, California) is an American football player in the NFL. He is currently the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.

Contents

College career

NFL career

2006 regular season

2006 post season

Personal life

References

External links

College career

Romo played college football at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. As a sophomore in 2000, Romo ranked second in Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 164 of 278 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. 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.

NFL career

Romo attended the 2003 NFL Combine, but, despite intriguing some scouts, went undrafted during the 2003 NFL Draft. Throughout the draft, Romo was assured by Sean Payton of the Cowboys' interest (Romo was also intensely pursued by Denver head coach Mike Shanahan^[1]), 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.
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 regular season

Romo began the season as a backup to starter Drew Bledsoe. Romo first saw the field on October 1st. His first NFL pass was a 33 yard completion to Sam Hurd vs. the Houston Texans on the same day. During the same game, Romo threw his first NFL touchdown pass to Terrell Owens.
Three weeks later on October 23, 2006, Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe for the start of the second half. 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, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. 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 Football's "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 without an interception, becoming the highest rated quarterback in the league. He tied a franchise record for touchdown passes in a game set by several others, most recently Troy Aikman. For his performance, he was awarded FOX's Galloping Gobbler award as the Thanksgiving Day MVP. Troy Aikman seemed a little annoyed about Joe Buck's asking Troy, "Was this the greatest game for a Cowboys quarterback?" Troy stated "I don't know if it's the greatest ever" with a half-hearted grin on his face while Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" played over the stadium loudspeakers.
Romo aided the Cowboys in clinching a playoff berth, 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.

2006 post season

On January 6th 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 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, but he 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. The role usually goes to the backup quarterback or the punter. Romo had the job because he had begun the season as the backup quarterback. After the disappointing loss to the Seattle Seahawks in 2006, many believed that Romo himself drove Parcells from Dallas, which eventually led to Parcells stepping down and being replaced by successor Wade Phillips. Romo finished the 2006 season ranked seventh in the NFC in passing yards (2,903) and touchdown passes (19).Romo enters the 2007 season as the Starting QB for the Dallas Cowboys.
Romo played in the 2007 Pro Bowl after Drew Brees went down with an elbow injury. Romo threw one touchdown and one interception. Ironically, after his playoff mishap, Romo was the NFC's holder in the game.

Personal life

Romo is a third-generation Mexican American on his father's side. His grandfather, Ramiro Romo Sr., emigrated from , 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." Romo's grandparents revel in his first game as Cowboys' starting QB Romo's mother is of Polish-German descent.^[2]
Romo was born in San Diego, when his father was serving in the United States Navy, but his family returned to their home in Burlington, Wisconsin when he was 2 years old. Playing quarterback for the Burlington Demons his junior and senior year of High School, he was unable to lead the team to a winning record, though he did make the All-Racine County football team and was honorable mention all-state in basketball.
He is an avid amateur golfer, and attempted to qualify for the 2004 EDS Byron Nelson Championship and the 2005 U.S. Open, but missed the cut. During the offseason, when not training, he is known to play golf around Dallas.
Romo is also a frequent guest on local sports radio programs. Beginning in 2006, he has been the co-host of "Inside The Huddle", a one-hour player commentary show that aired on ESPN Radio on KESN-FM in Dallas along with linebacker Bradie James and has just signed on for his second season as co-host of "Inside The Huddle" which will also be co-hosted by Dallas Cowboys Wide Receiver Sam Hurd and broadcast on Live 105.3FM radio in Dallas and regionally on FSN Southwest Television.
He is beloved by his alma mater, Eastern Illinois University, where he was also a member of Sigma Pi fraternity. The university has had few professional athletes in its history. Mike Shanahan, coach of the Denver Broncos, also played quarterback for Eastern Illinois University. In addition to Shanahan, NFL coaches Sean Payton and Brad Childress have played for the university.
Currently he has been socially associating with the multi-platinum selling country music singer and winner of American Idol Season 4 Carrie Underwood. He invited her to attend his birthday party in April 2007.^[3] On May 15th, 2007, he escorted her to the Academy of Country Music Awards. ^[4]

References

1. http://blog.denverbroncos.com/mason/
2.
3. http://www.people.com/people/gallery/0,,20036477_11,00.html
4. http://extratv.warnerbros.com/2007/05/acm_awards.html

External links

★ Extended biography

★ Career stats

★ Tony Romo at MySpace

★ Tony Romo news