BigStar
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I quoted Romo's statement regarding his back being the bigger issue...what more can I do?
Quoted December, 2014.
But Thursday night, after a over the Bears, he also mentioned a broken rib while appearing on NFL Network.
"It'll be nice when it's just about the back instead of all the other junk," Romo later said. The junk being the broken rib @ the time...?
The below avg (league wide;100 compared to NFL avg. of 130) in long attempts in '14?
another source:
Bell: When it comes to back trouble, Aikman can relate to Romo
Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY Sports3:05 a.m. EST December 10, 2014If anyone can relate to the challenge that Dallas Cowboys star Tony Romo faces playing quarterback in the NFL with a bad back, then surely it is Troy Aikman.
The franchise's former quarterback was forced to end his Hall of Fame career in 2000 because of back problems. Now he has a certain level of appreciation for the manner in which Romo — whose past two offseasons have involved rehabbing from back surgeries — has responded during one of his best seasons.
"The back is not a normal back," Aikman told USA TODAY Sports. "It's been surgically repaired, with two surgeries in a year's time. He's had the transverse process (fractures). He's 34 years old.
"I don't think it's going to feel better during a season. It's something that you've got to try to stay up on. I think a full, seven-day regimen is really required to be able to play."
Aikman, now the lead analyst for The NFL on Fox, emphasizes that his back injuries were not identical to Romo's. Aikman had back surgery earlier in his career, at 26, but by the end of his career his issues could not be corrected by surgeries.
And Romo — gearing up for Sunday night's rematch at the Philadelphia Eagles that will likely determine the winner of the NFC East crown — hasn't sought Aikman's advice about his back.
The common denominator in comparing what Aikman dealt with to Romo's plight is that in the heat of intense, physical action, the condition can turn on a heartbeat.
"I can only speak from my experience," Aikman said. "I was having to take epidural shots my last season, to get on the field to play. And then I'd go into spasms. I'd get hit and there was no way to move. It severely limited me and how I was able to move around. We saw that with Tony the first two or three games of the season. He wasn't avoiding sacks and hits like he normally would."
"Aikman worked on the broadcasts of the Cowboys' first two games this season, then four additional games to allow him to closely observe Romo's progress. He said the initial turning point came after the victory at Tennessee in Week 2, when Romo began sitting out Wednesday practices.
The rest and additional rehab time helped.
The regimen is striking when considering what happened the last time the Cowboys (9-4) played the Eagles – on Thanksgiving, when Dallas was drubbed 33-10 and Romo had his worst game of the season on the short week, reflected by a 53.7 passer rating.
"The league didn't do the team any favors when they're playing on a Sunday night on a short week," Aikman said, referring to Dallas' game at the New York Giants before Thanksgiving. "Is that the reason they lost? No. I don't buy that. But Thursday games are hard. For a league that's talked about player safety and now there's a game every Thursday night, it taxes these players."
After throwing two picks against the Eagles, Romo revealed he didn't take a pain-killing injection before the game that was played on a day he typically would practice for the first time.
It's unclear why Romo, altered his treatment plan on Thanksgiving. He had taken injections before each game after suffering two fractured transverse processes during a Week 8 loss against Washington.
Generally, though, Aikman has been impressed by the way Romo — the NFL's second-ranked quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers with a 108.8 passer rating — and the team's medical and training staffs have managed the back issues.
"That's the key word — he's been having to manage his health," Aikman said.
It has worked with coach Jason Garrett's philosophy shift to run the offense through the rushing game.
"The ability to lean on (NFL rushing leader) DeMarco Murray has helped that franchise," Aikman said. "It's helped Tony and I can appreciate that. It's nice when you don't have to be the guy who has to make every play in order for the team to have success offensively."
The Romo Health Watch has been woven into the Cowboys' existence like never before.
This week, the questions extend beyond the back, which, incidentally, held up well for Romo during last Thursday's victory at Chicago.
The NFL is looking into whether the Cowboys violated the NFL's injury policy after Romo stated that he has also been playing with a fractured rib – which the team has never listed on the official injury report. Garrett told reporters on Monday that Romo misspoke, insisting that the condition of the rib was an issue with cartilage and not a fracture.
The Cowboys have sent documentation to the league supporting that position. Nonetheless, it's another example that it's always something with Romo.
"He's been terrific," Aikman added. "Most people are focusing on the running game, but that team wouldn't be where they are without Romo. The guy they can't afford to lose is Romo. Not that they wouldn't be affected without DeMarco Murray, but Tony's the guy who makes that offense go."
Which might be exactly what you'd expect to hear from a quarterback.
***
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sport...relate-to-romo-and-his-back-trouble/20167621/
Follow Jarrett Bell on Twitter @JarrettBell
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My last statement disregards the whole medical requirement issue in MANY careers. Give a 23yr old some time to understand life priorities as we all know is not a given at that young age. Hell, with the way the country is trending on the issue and companies become up to date on their policies in regard to the substance (institutionalized), all the fools calling Gregory a troubled player will look pretty silly.
