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http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2009/10/17/sports/doc4ada00bc086f6913145781.txt
http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2009/10/17/sports/doc4ad94284098ce486976122.txt
Romo says Cowboys have things figured out
CHARLESTON – The joy of getting better is what keeps Tony Romo going, he told a sold-out Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame banquet audience Saturday morning.
That continues these days for the Dallas Cowboys quarterback who during a bye week is attending EIU's Hall of Fame and Homecoming football game.
“Right now our team is 3-2 but I'm excited,” Romo said. “I think we got some things figured out last week.”
For more about Romo's Hall of Fame acceptance speech and visit back to his alma mater, see Monday's JG/T-C.
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EIU: 'That's where Tony Romo went' to school
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON -- When giving alumni reasons to donate to Eastern Illinois University, Associate Athletic Director John Smith might not even mention Tony Romo.
“I don’t have to, believe me,” Smith said with a laugh. “It’s brought up. It’s part of the deal.”
In fact, the university’s fund-raiser for athletic development has been offered a $5,000 donation by an alum if he could play golf with the former EIU quarterback who has been the Football Championship Subdivision school on the map as the face of the Dallas Cowboys.
While the round-of-golf-with-Tony perk might not be so readily available, Smith said the replica EIU jersey No. 17 worn by Romo during his college days offered for a donation resulted in $40,000 for the department.
Romo Christmas ornaments are now on sale at stores.
Maybe even just an ordinary Eastern Illinois item has become more valuable or at least more recognized across the country.
“Everywhere I go and people see Eastern Illinois on my shirt, they say, ‘Hey that’s where Tony Romo went,’ ” Smith said. “It’s fascinating.”
Eastern has had Ted Petersen as a backup offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champions in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Jeff Gossett go to the Pro Bowl as a punter, Mike Shanahan coach the Denver Broncos to Super Bowl championships, John Jurkovic spread some of his personality as an NFL defensive lineman and Sean Payton earn NFL Coach of the Year honors.
But nothing has brought as much attention as Romo starting at quarterback for the Cowboys.
“He’s recognized maybe more so than a guy coming out at an Illinois or an Ohio State because they have so many,” Smith said. “And then of course the Jessica Simpson stuff brought it even more to light.”
While Romo dating Jessica Simpson made covers of tabloid magazines, EIU coaches point more to his on-field accomplishments.
“To me the biggest thing is the constant exposure you get every time he plays on Sunday, every time he plays the national TV game and Eastern Illinois University is mentioned as free publicity,” offensive coordinator Roy Wittke said. “That’s half the battle of recruiting sometimes. There’s no question that he’s helped us get the foot in the door because they know who we are and they know Tony.”
Romo’s Cinderella story at EIU is a good one, too.
Not only were no major colleges in the recruiting battle for the kid from a small high school in Burlington, Wis., but Wittke had to convince his head coach Bob Spoo just to give him a partial scholarship at Eastern Illinois.
Spoo, who helped develop the likes of Mark Hermann and Jim Everett as a quarterbacks coach at Purdue, is now the first one to tell you his initial assessments of Romo were wrong and he is grateful for Wittke’s persistence.
Defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni uses the Romo-played-here-sales-pitch as well.
“It’s one of the first things out of my mouth,” Bellantoni said. “My area is south Florida. It’s a little different from Chicago where they’ve heard of us. He brings a little more credibility to you when you go down there. That’s one of the first things I say is: ‘Have you heard about Eastern Illinois?’ Some have because of the winning tradition but some haven’t until I mention Tony.
“I think it’s allowed us to get in on some guys whom we wouldn’t have gotten in on before.”
When EIU’s current quarterback Jake Christensen last winter decided to transfer from Iowa, maybe he would have chosen the Panthers anyway considering his father, Jeff, played for EIU on his way to the NFL and Wittke during a stint as an assistant coach at Arkansas made a good impression when trying to recruit the Illinois High School Player of the Year.
But Romo’s legacy didn’t hurt either.
“Yeah, I think Tony is kind of the poster boy for FCS quarterbacks,” Christensen said. “Kurt Warner at UNI Northern Iowa) too. I think Tony as much as anybody opened some people’s eyes that there is some good football played here.”
Today Romo is scheduled to be at EIU’s O’Brien Field to watch the Christensen-led Panthers.
It is the Cowboys’ bye week and EIU switched its Hall of Fame Day so that its best-known football alum could be present for his induction.
Romo agreed to return to the school where he has donated $100,000.
“Of that, $25,000 is going to school of communications,” Smith said. “He not only has good feelings toward athletics; he has good feelings toward the whole university.”
Of course, that big check is just part of what Romo has brought to his college.
“I don’t think you can quantify what he’s done for not only our football team but our university,” Bellantoni said.
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
http://www.jg-tc.com/articles/2009/10/17/sports/doc4ad94284098ce486976122.txt
Romo says Cowboys have things figured out
CHARLESTON – The joy of getting better is what keeps Tony Romo going, he told a sold-out Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame banquet audience Saturday morning.
That continues these days for the Dallas Cowboys quarterback who during a bye week is attending EIU's Hall of Fame and Homecoming football game.
“Right now our team is 3-2 but I'm excited,” Romo said. “I think we got some things figured out last week.”
For more about Romo's Hall of Fame acceptance speech and visit back to his alma mater, see Monday's JG/T-C.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
EIU: 'That's where Tony Romo went' to school
By BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
CHARLESTON -- When giving alumni reasons to donate to Eastern Illinois University, Associate Athletic Director John Smith might not even mention Tony Romo.
“I don’t have to, believe me,” Smith said with a laugh. “It’s brought up. It’s part of the deal.”
In fact, the university’s fund-raiser for athletic development has been offered a $5,000 donation by an alum if he could play golf with the former EIU quarterback who has been the Football Championship Subdivision school on the map as the face of the Dallas Cowboys.
While the round-of-golf-with-Tony perk might not be so readily available, Smith said the replica EIU jersey No. 17 worn by Romo during his college days offered for a donation resulted in $40,000 for the department.
Following the fund drive offer for donations was a lithograph reproduction of Romo in action with his signature and the past year a Romo bobblehead was the incentive.Romo Christmas ornaments are now on sale at stores.
Maybe even just an ordinary Eastern Illinois item has become more valuable or at least more recognized across the country.
“Everywhere I go and people see Eastern Illinois on my shirt, they say, ‘Hey that’s where Tony Romo went,’ ” Smith said. “It’s fascinating.”
Eastern has had Ted Petersen as a backup offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champions in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Jeff Gossett go to the Pro Bowl as a punter, Mike Shanahan coach the Denver Broncos to Super Bowl championships, John Jurkovic spread some of his personality as an NFL defensive lineman and Sean Payton earn NFL Coach of the Year honors.
But nothing has brought as much attention as Romo starting at quarterback for the Cowboys.
“He’s recognized maybe more so than a guy coming out at an Illinois or an Ohio State because they have so many,” Smith said. “And then of course the Jessica Simpson stuff brought it even more to light.”
While Romo dating Jessica Simpson made covers of tabloid magazines, EIU coaches point more to his on-field accomplishments.
“To me the biggest thing is the constant exposure you get every time he plays on Sunday, every time he plays the national TV game and Eastern Illinois University is mentioned as free publicity,” offensive coordinator Roy Wittke said. “That’s half the battle of recruiting sometimes. There’s no question that he’s helped us get the foot in the door because they know who we are and they know Tony.”
Romo’s Cinderella story at EIU is a good one, too.
Not only were no major colleges in the recruiting battle for the kid from a small high school in Burlington, Wis., but Wittke had to convince his head coach Bob Spoo just to give him a partial scholarship at Eastern Illinois.
Spoo, who helped develop the likes of Mark Hermann and Jim Everett as a quarterbacks coach at Purdue, is now the first one to tell you his initial assessments of Romo were wrong and he is grateful for Wittke’s persistence.
Defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni uses the Romo-played-here-sales-pitch as well.
“It’s one of the first things out of my mouth,” Bellantoni said. “My area is south Florida. It’s a little different from Chicago where they’ve heard of us. He brings a little more credibility to you when you go down there. That’s one of the first things I say is: ‘Have you heard about Eastern Illinois?’ Some have because of the winning tradition but some haven’t until I mention Tony.
“I think it’s allowed us to get in on some guys whom we wouldn’t have gotten in on before.”
When EIU’s current quarterback Jake Christensen last winter decided to transfer from Iowa, maybe he would have chosen the Panthers anyway considering his father, Jeff, played for EIU on his way to the NFL and Wittke during a stint as an assistant coach at Arkansas made a good impression when trying to recruit the Illinois High School Player of the Year.
But Romo’s legacy didn’t hurt either.
“Yeah, I think Tony is kind of the poster boy for FCS quarterbacks,” Christensen said. “Kurt Warner at UNI Northern Iowa) too. I think Tony as much as anybody opened some people’s eyes that there is some good football played here.”
Today Romo is scheduled to be at EIU’s O’Brien Field to watch the Christensen-led Panthers.
It is the Cowboys’ bye week and EIU switched its Hall of Fame Day so that its best-known football alum could be present for his induction.
Romo agreed to return to the school where he has donated $100,000.
“Of that, $25,000 is going to school of communications,” Smith said. “He not only has good feelings toward athletics; he has good feelings toward the whole university.”
Of course, that big check is just part of what Romo has brought to his college.
“I don’t think you can quantify what he’s done for not only our football team but our university,” Bellantoni said.
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
Ever since Romo stopped talking to Mosley, Mosely starting bagging Cowboys