Joe Don Romo

[bbgun]

Meredith was physically very, very tough. He took an awful beating playing for an expansion team. He played for a while with a nose broken so badly, the contraption on his face made him look like Darth Vader.

http://img3.*************/img3/8700/u1577239vo4.jpg

You're right about the beatings. Rarely do you see a qb these days who retires in his prime (30), but the weekly poundings no doubt accelerated the aging process. Not sure I buy the Romo comparisons. Don was more "honky tonk bar" than Hollywood, and you never had to question if his teammates had his back. Tony on the other hand ...

 

[Bleu Star]

http://img3.*************/img3/8700/u1577239vo4.jpg

omg. That mask is CRAZY.

 

[Idgit]

http://img3.*************/img3/8700/u1577239vo4.jpg

You're right about the beatings. Rarely do you see a qb these days who retires in his prime (30), but the weekly poundings no doubt accelerated the aging process. Not sure I buy the Romo comparisons. Don was more "honky tonk bar" than Hollywood, and you never had to question if his teammates had his back. Tony on the other hand ...

Cool pic.

TO would never have cried over Dandy Don.

 

[CATCH17]

We have an offensive that for periods of time can't protect the Quarterback at all.

I can't believe some of you don't realise how fortunate we are to have Romo.

He does have some flaws but he isn't a finished product yet either.

Romo is the least of our worries. If he was our main concern we would be a lot better off.

 

[Bleu Star]

We have an offensive that for periods of time can't protect the Quarterback at all.

I can't believe some of you don't realise how fortunate we are to have Romo.

He does have some flaws but he isn't a finished product yet either.

Romo is the least of our worries. If he was our main concern we would be a lot better off.

Maybe I'm wrong but.. I think most of us realize what we have in Romo but we can also see current deficiencies that need to improve if we are to sniff a deep playoff run.

 

[ologan]

Cool pic.

TO would never have cried over Dandy Don.

Yeah,well Bullet Bob Hayes would have! I was fortunate to have been able to watch both play when the 'Boys played in Fair Park. Have taken that experience for granted over the years.

 

[the kid 05]

I wonder if Don Meredith isn’t the Cowboys QB with whom Romo shares the most traits. Meredith was a happy go lucky guy who drove Landry crazy with his off-beat view of the world and the game. I remember reading, maybe in Garrison’s book, about how Meredith was at the line of scrimmage in one game, heard the MLB bark out the exact play he was about to run, called an audible, heard the MLB bark out the new play. Meredith stopped calling signals and snapped something like this to the MLB: “Hell, you’re so (bleep) smart, you call the (bleeping) play.”

Meredith was cool. Once the Cowboys charter plane got in trouble in a storm. The pilot told everyone to assume crash positions, and grown men were crying, praying aloud… Meredith sat with his boots up on the seat in front of him, smoking a cigarette. “Joe Don!” someone shouted. “We’re about to crash!” Meredith said: “Well boys, it’s been a good one.”

sounds about like romo.

Dandy Don wish i could meet him

 

[wileedog]

Maybe I'm wrong but.. I think most of us realize what we have in Romo but we can also see current deficiencies that need to improve if we are to sniff a deep playoff run.

I think that's fair, but I also think a better Oline and batter play calling will go a lot further towards our improvement than Romo's attitude about winning.

BTW great OP Shake. I was too young for Don too but that was a great read.

 

[Shake_Tiller]

Yeah,well Bullet Bob Hayes would have! I was fortunate to have been able to watch both play when the 'Boys played in Fair Park. Have taken that experience for granted over the years.

There are a few indelible images from pro football -- Sayers in the open field, Butkus destroying a running back, Sanders closing on the ball to intercept a pass, Dorsett accelerating... I'm not sure there is a more beautiful image than that of Bob Hayes hauling in a "bomb" from Dandy Don. I always thought the sheer exhilaration of seeing those plays began the march to the Cowboys becoming America's Team.

 

[Shake_Tiller]

http://img3.*************/img3/8700/u1577239vo4.jpg

You're right about the beatings. Rarely do you see a qb these days who retires in his prime (30), but the weekly poundings no doubt accelerated the aging process. Not sure I buy the Romo comparisons. Don was more "honky tonk bar" than Hollywood, and you never had to question if his teammates had his back. Tony on the other hand ...

BBgun, if I had your skills, I would post a photo of Meredith taken by Bob Lilly... just a candid shot of Dandy Don in the locker room. Since I can't do that, I'll post the caption Lilly wrote to accompany the photo:

"Don Meredith was a quarterback who gave us a lift and a lot of laughs, but he also had a lot of depth. Don loved to compete and he loved to win. He could take a lick too. Playing with a broken nose was almost routine for Don. His was broken 14 times during his football career. He was a Dandy but he was a tough one."

I reckon if Lilly thought he was tough...

 

[Chief]

BBgun, if I had your skills, I would post a photo of Meredith taken by Bob Lilly... just a candid shot of Dandy Don in the locker room. Since I can't do that, I'll post the caption Lilly wrote to accompany the photo:

"Don Meredith was a quarterback who gave us a lift and a lot of laughs, but he also had a lot of depth. Don loved to compete and he loved to win. He could take a lick too. Playing with a broken nose was almost routine for Don. His was broken 14 times during his football career. He was a Dandy but he was a tough one."

I reckon if Lilly thought he was tough...

I know the picture.

My favorite Meredith photo in Lilly's book, however, was the one of Don and Bob Hayes outside the bus when they arrived in Green Bay for the Ice Bowl. Bob is just smiling with this cool hat on, and Meredith has his hands cupped and has that mischievious grin. Lilly wrote that Don was saying, "Easy money, baby. Easy money."

 

[CATCH17]

Maybe I'm wrong but.. I think most of us realize what we have in Romo but we can also see current deficiencies that need to improve if we are to sniff a deep playoff run.

I think you're right but I think we can go about it another way.

People act like Romo is an uncapable worthless QB sometimes.

 

[bbgun]

http://img5.*************/img5/3840/u157816512ly7.jpg

Don and Lance Rentzel. My family lived in Irving in the mid-1960s (we're no bandwagoners), so there's a pretty good chance that Lance flashed my older sister as she waited for the school bus. My apologies for the unidentified "jockstrap guy" on the far right.

 

[Shake_Tiller]

http://img5.*************/img5/3840/u157816512ly7.jpg

Don and Lance Rentzel. My family lived in Irving in the mid-1960s (we're no bandwagoners), so there's a pretty good chance that Lance flashed my older sister as she waited for the school bus. My apologies for the unidentified "jockstrap guy" on the far right.

Wonder if Rentzel is asking Meredith if he has a younger sister?

 

[Cali'sFinest]

Don't have much to say because I never saw Don play. Just wanted to thank you for the great read this morning.

Same here. Good read though, sounds like he was one hell of QB.

 

[dadymat]

Meredith was cool. Once the Cowboys charter plane got in trouble in a storm. The pilot told everyone to assume crash positions, and grown men were crying, praying aloud… Meredith sat with his boots up on the seat in front of him, smoking a cigarette. “Joe Don!” someone shouted. “We’re about to crash!” Meredith said: “Well boys, it’s been a good one.”

 

[Shake_Tiller]

Same here. Good read though, sounds like he was one hell of QB.

Meredith really was a helluva quarterback, especially when you consider that he spent the better part of his career on a team that was in the early portion of its expansion years. And in those days, expansion teams were stocked with the dregs of the NFL and given few breaks in the draft.

Meredith threw 21 TDs and 12 Ints his last season. From 1965 through 1968, when you might consider that the Cowboys had even a chance to be good, Meredith threw 83 TD passes against 53 Ints. And there wasn't much dinking and dunking.

And consider that in 1964, in 12 games, Meredith was sacked 58 times. He was sacked 218 times in the six seasons he played regularly. Expansion teams kill QBs.

Of course, it didn't hurt Meredith that Bob Hayes was around during his prime years.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

BBgun, if I had your skills, I would post a photo of Meredith taken by Bob Lilly... just a candid shot of Dandy Don in the locker room. Since I can't do that, I'll post the caption Lilly wrote to accompany the photo:

"Don Meredith was a quarterback who gave us a lift and a lot of laughs, but he also had a lot of depth. Don loved to compete and he loved to win. He could take a lick too. Playing with a broken nose was almost routine for Don. His was broken 14 times during his football career. He was a Dandy but he was a tough one."

I reckon if Lilly thought he was tough...

​

 

[TellerMorrow34]

First off...Shake that was a great post. Thank you.

I've not seen a lot of Don, as I'm far to young, but I've watched some classic game stuff and read things on him and I can easily see the comparison between him and Romo.

I, however, have faith that Romo will one day lead us to the Superbowl and to a Championship or two.

If I didn't have that faith, why even bother watching? If you know, for sure, that he isn't going to get it done then there's really nothing you're watching for.

I for one believe he can, and will, get it done.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

one of the greatest posts ever penned on here

thanks for sharing