Back in 2006-07 interviews the reporters at Valley Ranch like Mcmahon Engle & Archer all talked about speaking with Romo and him mentioning Lee as a reason for being brought in. Parcells didn't make any decision he saw Bledsoe getting his head kicked in on MNF and his hand was forced, if it were up to Bill Bledsoe would've been our starter until he left.
Lee was the reason he was brought in where? Do you mean the Giants game? Or as an UFA?
In any event, I'll take Romo's word for it, as well as that of Parcells. And the whole thing about BP's hand being forced is non-sense. It certainly wasn't forced when we were 6 and 10 with Testaverde, even though Parcells talked about making a QB switch and even stated he gave Romo extra work to take over. In addition, we were 3 and 2 when BP benched Bledsoe and still very much in the Giants game. Romo threw 3 INT's that game but Parcells still kept him as the starter against Carolina the following game. So it was up to Bill and he yanked Bledsoe because it was the right time, not because of some fan perception that it was a forced move..........
Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo credits new Pro Football Hall of Fame member Bill Parcells for getting him to Dallas, staying in his ear
http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...etting-him-to-dallas-staying-in-his-ear.html/
But Romo might not be the Cowboys’ starting quarterback if not for Parcells.
Parcells helped convince Romo to sign with the Cowboys in 2003 as an undrafted free agent despite Dallas offering a $10,000 signing bonus that wasn’t as much as Denver’s $25,000.
“I chose Dallas to hopefully make the team,” Romo said. “Bill was instrumental in me getting there.”
Romo and Parcells stay in contact but mostly keep in touch via text messages.
After Romo signed a six-year, $108 million contract extension in late March – making him one of the league’s highest-paid players – he received a text message from Parcells.
“He said, ‘I was just wondering if coming to Dallas had worked out for you,’” Romo said. “I had to laugh. It was pretty funny.”
http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/tag/_/name/vinny-testaverde
Parcells wasn't surprised Romo received an opportunity to play.
"There were a couple of guys there that I knew I was going to have trouble counting on," Parcells said. "Henson because of his newness and he didn’t seem to be able to sort things out and Quincy because of, you know ... "
Over the years, they have stayed in touch mostly by telephone and Romo, like
Jason Witten, can still hear Parcells in the back of his mind when he’s on the field.
“Bill is a big influence on me,” Romo said. “He taught me a lot about the game and the approach. He had some great wisdom in a lot of areas. It wasn’t just to manage the team. It was about people. It was about his ability to know little things you might be thinking or might be going on in your head. I think he’s pretty gifted at that.”
(this from an Archer article)
http://blogs.charlotte.com/panthers/2007/11/testaverde-saw.html
Testaverde saw glimpses of Romo's potential
As this season rolls on, it becomes more clear with each passing game that as Tony Romo goes, so go the Dallas Cowboys. Romo took down Green Bay Thursday night, and that likely wasn’t much of a surprise to Carolina QB Vinny Testaverde. When Vinny was starting for Dallas in 2004, Romo was his backup, and Testaverde was impressed with what he saw in the kid that year.
"There’s a lot of guys that have ability but not all of them make it," Testaverde said. "You have to have some intangibles, you have to have something special about you. The thing about Tony was, he was eager to learn, he just looked like he was hungry for it, just wanted to be successful.
"He was always with me, watching film and studying and asking questions. And obviously his abilities allow him to play the position like very few have."
Testaverde said it varies with different quarterbacks,
but on average he believes a young QB needs three years in the league before he’s ready to be an NFL starter. Romo watched for three seasons in Dallas, then took over.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1951712
(December, 2004 article)
But Parcells might not stick with Testaverde throughout Sunday's game against the
Washington Commanders.
Parcells said Wednesday he's told
Tony Romo to be ready to take the first snaps of his two-year NFL career. While coaches always want backups to prepare as if they were starting, Parcells is taking it a step further by giving Romo "quite a bit of additional work" with the first team in practice this week.
"I'm preparing two guys to play," Parcells said.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1950308
Parcells insists that, like everyone else, he's curious to see his young quarterbacks in action. But it's not as easy for him as just putting them in a game.
"I'm having a hard time explaining the mental gymnastics that go into this," Parcells said. "It's a little bit deeper than the periphery of `What do you got to lose?' Now, that is an idiotic statement. You've got a lot to lose, a lot."
Parcells isn't talking about the game, but the player. He worries that a bad experience could set a bad tone for either quarterback's future.
"There can be a substantial downside as well as a potential upside," he said. "Now, the question is whether now is the time you want to roll the dice and see."