Plankton
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Perception is one millionth of one percent reality (truth in fact).
- R. Buckminster Fuller
A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.
- David Brinkley
Imagine that someone came to you with a story as follows – a man of Mexican descent who only received a partial Division 1-AA football scholarship, worked hard and won the Walter Payton Award (D1-AA Heisman Trophy equivalent). He went undrafted, and signed on with the Dallas Cowboys in Bill Parcells first season as head coach. The player managed to survive cut downs in his first two seasons, outlasting the owner’s prized signings of Drew Henson and Chad Hutchinson, and emerged as the #2 QB at the start of his third season. When given a chance as the starter, this player managed to stay in place for 10 seasons, setting franchise marks in passing yards, completion percentage, touchdown passes and passer rating. He won 61% of his games as a quarterback, the only two playoff games that the franchise has won since the 1996 season, earned four Pro Bowl berths, and has the 10th highest passer rating in the playoffs in history, ahead of such luminaries as Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Ken Stabler.
Sounds like a success story that should be romanticized, correct?
This is the story of Antonio Ramiro Romo, known nationally as Tony Romo.
And, romanticized is not something that has been done with this story on a national level, and this is a real shame.
Romo overcame many obstacles on his way to becoming a top echelon starting quarterback in the NFL for the last decade – playing college ball at a lower level, going undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft, working his way from third string and the scout team to the starter and face of the franchise. He was brought into the franchise by the insistence of scout Jim Hess and the firm backing of Sean Payton (a fellow alumna of Eastern Illinois). Despite being offered less money by the Cowboys than the Denver Broncos (at the time, coached by fellow EIU alumna Mike Shanahan), Romo showed good decision making at an early age by analyzing the depth charts of both teams, and seeing a better opportunity in Dallas.
Romo had to overcome the odds to stick on the team in 2003, then bide his time as the other QB options around him disintegrated in front of him – Chad Hutchinson questioning his role, Drew Henson unable to mentally relax, Quincy Carter unable to stay sober. He was fortunate to have a year of apprenticeship with both Vinny Testaverde and Drew Bledsoe, two consummate professionals who showed Romo the proper way to prepare to play, and how to analyze the game. Romo’s work ethic took over from there, and once he got his chance, he never relinquished his starting role until repeated injuries did that for him.
Despite this success story, the national view of him was tainted by his first playoff exposure. And, since that date, the perception of Tony Romo versus the reality of his achievements have been greatly blurred and even distorted beyond recognition.
Romo had the Cowboys positioned to take the lead inside of two minutes remaining of their Wild Card game against the home standing Seattle Seahawks in early 2007. The Cowboys just needed to convert a 21 yard field goal, and they would seize the lead late in a game that they had largely controlled.
Unfortunately for Romo, the beginning of his star crossed career revealed itself as he fumbled the snap from L.P. Ladouceur, and his scramble attempt left the Cowboys 1 yard short of a first down. The Cowboys lost the game 21-20, in Parcells’ last game as a head coach.
Romo was skewered nationally as a choke artist, and locally, didn’t fare much better. Unfortunately for Romo, as the saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. This image was one that would be replayed over the years, and attached to Romo like an anchor. As he had future losses on big stages, the reminder of this play would be brought up over and over again, until for many, it became the self-fulfilling prophecy.
Despite sweeping the Giants during the regular season, the Cowboys lost to them in the playoffs at home. Romo added to the perception of him being too carefree and coming up small in the big moments by taking a trip to Cabo San Lucas during the bye week that was captured by intrepid paparazzi. Never mind the fact that Romo was crashing on film study leading up to the trip, and was the first one in the building following the trip – the perception was that he didn’t understand the gravity of the moment.
And, on a team that had Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman as the standard bearers at the quarterback position, anything short of Super Bowls is considered a failure. And, anything less than 100% attention at all times on football was considered heresy.
Couple this with his season ending remarks following the 44-6 debacle in Philadelphia in 2008, a loss that eliminated the Cowboys from qualifying for the playoffs, where Romo said, “If this is the worst thing that will ever happen to me, then I will have lived a pretty good life,” and the national perception of him was of a guy who would always come up short when the chips were on the table, and would never be serious enough to win big.
To come to this conclusion for someone who was ignored by the D1 colleges, undrafted in the NFL, and managed to work his way into a starting role for the most high profile franchise in the sport is being ignorant of reality.
Whether you are a Tony Romo fan or not, Romo’s story is heroic. In many ways, he is a tragic hero – a person who despite his best efforts, was destined to end up on the short end of the results. What wasn’t shown following his comments in Philadelphia was that he needed to be helped from the stage when leaving due to torn rib cartilage suffered in the game. What wasn’t acknowledged following the Giant loss was the failure of the entire team to finish the deal – the defense giving up a touchdown at the end of the first half with only :47 seconds remaining when the Giants received the ball, numerous breakdowns all across the team, and Romo’s effectiveness throwing the ball compromised by a thumb injury suffered against the Eagles in December.
The bottom line is, whether you love him or hate him, Romo dealt with injuries, poor coaching, and a declining cast of players and kept his team in the mix. Despite some people’s perception of him as not caring because he wore his hat backward, played golf too much, had celebrity girlfriends, and never came up big when his team needed it fail to remember his 28 4th Quarter comebacks, his 61% winning percentage, his all-time best quarterback rating in the 4th quarter of games.
The perception is that Romo is overrated, sucks, and is a choker.
The reality says otherwise. And, this reality has been often ignored.
America’s Team has had the genuine American success story as its starting quarterback for the better part of the last decade. A quarterback who developed into a leader, and elevated his team when the surrounding parts were in decline. By the time that the supporting cast was being built back up again, Romo was betrayed by his body, another hallmark of this tragic hero. Through it all, Romo showed himself to be one of the toughest players in the league, and the same perseverance that allowed him to emerge from the shadows as a top echelon quarterback emboldened him to play through injuries. Who can forget his returning to the field against San Francisco in 2011 with a punctured lung and two cracked ribs to lead the Cowboys to a come from behind victory? Who can forget Romo playing through the fourth quarter against the Commanders in 2013 with a herniated disc in his back, and leading the team to a critical win on the road?
What emerged over time was that Romo wasn’t carefree, but was a gym rat. He wasn’t soft, but was a physically and mentally tough player who overcame great odds to get to the level that he achieved. While he isn’t a Hall of Famer, Romo is a very good player who deserves better than his reputation.
For a franchise that had QB greats such as Staubach and Aikman, being in a group with Don Meredith and Danny White is pretty good company. Romo gave the franchise credibility again at the quarterback position, kept them competitive when the supporting cast was weak, and provided support and guidance to Dak Prescott when his body was unable to withstand the rigors of game play. Romo took the bricks thrown at him over the years by his critics, and authored a fine career that is equal parts success, tragedy and what could have been. And, on the day that he decided to walk away from the field to the broadcast booth, it’s this that should be remembered and recognized.
While some will remember him for the well-chronicled foibles, or for his final series last year against Philadelphia, I will remember him for the first time I saw him play in person – December 3, 2006 against the Giants in New Jersey. Romo had struggled a bit in this game, throwing two interceptions. The Giants had tied the game, 20-20 with 1:06 remaining. The Cowboys took over at their own 32, with two timeouts remaining. With the crowd at a fever pitch, Romo took the first down snap, drifted to his left, and found Jason Witten for a 42 yard gain deep down the seam to put the Cowboys into field goal range. Martin Gramatica kicked the game winner with :01 remaining, and the Cowboys stole one from the Giants on a day when Romo wasn’t at his best. I remember the grit and determination that he showed that afternoon in making the play when he had the crowd bellowing and some doubt in his mind for the first time as a starter.
The same grit and determination that led him from a partial scholarship at Eastern Illinois to a Pro Bowl level quarterback. A player that will only be truly appreciated once he is gone.
This is my perception.
This is also Tony Romo’s reality.
- R. Buckminster Fuller
A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.
- David Brinkley
Imagine that someone came to you with a story as follows – a man of Mexican descent who only received a partial Division 1-AA football scholarship, worked hard and won the Walter Payton Award (D1-AA Heisman Trophy equivalent). He went undrafted, and signed on with the Dallas Cowboys in Bill Parcells first season as head coach. The player managed to survive cut downs in his first two seasons, outlasting the owner’s prized signings of Drew Henson and Chad Hutchinson, and emerged as the #2 QB at the start of his third season. When given a chance as the starter, this player managed to stay in place for 10 seasons, setting franchise marks in passing yards, completion percentage, touchdown passes and passer rating. He won 61% of his games as a quarterback, the only two playoff games that the franchise has won since the 1996 season, earned four Pro Bowl berths, and has the 10th highest passer rating in the playoffs in history, ahead of such luminaries as Tom Brady, Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Ken Stabler.
Sounds like a success story that should be romanticized, correct?
This is the story of Antonio Ramiro Romo, known nationally as Tony Romo.
And, romanticized is not something that has been done with this story on a national level, and this is a real shame.
Romo overcame many obstacles on his way to becoming a top echelon starting quarterback in the NFL for the last decade – playing college ball at a lower level, going undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft, working his way from third string and the scout team to the starter and face of the franchise. He was brought into the franchise by the insistence of scout Jim Hess and the firm backing of Sean Payton (a fellow alumna of Eastern Illinois). Despite being offered less money by the Cowboys than the Denver Broncos (at the time, coached by fellow EIU alumna Mike Shanahan), Romo showed good decision making at an early age by analyzing the depth charts of both teams, and seeing a better opportunity in Dallas.
Romo had to overcome the odds to stick on the team in 2003, then bide his time as the other QB options around him disintegrated in front of him – Chad Hutchinson questioning his role, Drew Henson unable to mentally relax, Quincy Carter unable to stay sober. He was fortunate to have a year of apprenticeship with both Vinny Testaverde and Drew Bledsoe, two consummate professionals who showed Romo the proper way to prepare to play, and how to analyze the game. Romo’s work ethic took over from there, and once he got his chance, he never relinquished his starting role until repeated injuries did that for him.
Despite this success story, the national view of him was tainted by his first playoff exposure. And, since that date, the perception of Tony Romo versus the reality of his achievements have been greatly blurred and even distorted beyond recognition.
Romo had the Cowboys positioned to take the lead inside of two minutes remaining of their Wild Card game against the home standing Seattle Seahawks in early 2007. The Cowboys just needed to convert a 21 yard field goal, and they would seize the lead late in a game that they had largely controlled.
Unfortunately for Romo, the beginning of his star crossed career revealed itself as he fumbled the snap from L.P. Ladouceur, and his scramble attempt left the Cowboys 1 yard short of a first down. The Cowboys lost the game 21-20, in Parcells’ last game as a head coach.
Romo was skewered nationally as a choke artist, and locally, didn’t fare much better. Unfortunately for Romo, as the saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. This image was one that would be replayed over the years, and attached to Romo like an anchor. As he had future losses on big stages, the reminder of this play would be brought up over and over again, until for many, it became the self-fulfilling prophecy.
Despite sweeping the Giants during the regular season, the Cowboys lost to them in the playoffs at home. Romo added to the perception of him being too carefree and coming up small in the big moments by taking a trip to Cabo San Lucas during the bye week that was captured by intrepid paparazzi. Never mind the fact that Romo was crashing on film study leading up to the trip, and was the first one in the building following the trip – the perception was that he didn’t understand the gravity of the moment.
And, on a team that had Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman as the standard bearers at the quarterback position, anything short of Super Bowls is considered a failure. And, anything less than 100% attention at all times on football was considered heresy.
Couple this with his season ending remarks following the 44-6 debacle in Philadelphia in 2008, a loss that eliminated the Cowboys from qualifying for the playoffs, where Romo said, “If this is the worst thing that will ever happen to me, then I will have lived a pretty good life,” and the national perception of him was of a guy who would always come up short when the chips were on the table, and would never be serious enough to win big.
To come to this conclusion for someone who was ignored by the D1 colleges, undrafted in the NFL, and managed to work his way into a starting role for the most high profile franchise in the sport is being ignorant of reality.
Whether you are a Tony Romo fan or not, Romo’s story is heroic. In many ways, he is a tragic hero – a person who despite his best efforts, was destined to end up on the short end of the results. What wasn’t shown following his comments in Philadelphia was that he needed to be helped from the stage when leaving due to torn rib cartilage suffered in the game. What wasn’t acknowledged following the Giant loss was the failure of the entire team to finish the deal – the defense giving up a touchdown at the end of the first half with only :47 seconds remaining when the Giants received the ball, numerous breakdowns all across the team, and Romo’s effectiveness throwing the ball compromised by a thumb injury suffered against the Eagles in December.
The bottom line is, whether you love him or hate him, Romo dealt with injuries, poor coaching, and a declining cast of players and kept his team in the mix. Despite some people’s perception of him as not caring because he wore his hat backward, played golf too much, had celebrity girlfriends, and never came up big when his team needed it fail to remember his 28 4th Quarter comebacks, his 61% winning percentage, his all-time best quarterback rating in the 4th quarter of games.
The perception is that Romo is overrated, sucks, and is a choker.
The reality says otherwise. And, this reality has been often ignored.
America’s Team has had the genuine American success story as its starting quarterback for the better part of the last decade. A quarterback who developed into a leader, and elevated his team when the surrounding parts were in decline. By the time that the supporting cast was being built back up again, Romo was betrayed by his body, another hallmark of this tragic hero. Through it all, Romo showed himself to be one of the toughest players in the league, and the same perseverance that allowed him to emerge from the shadows as a top echelon quarterback emboldened him to play through injuries. Who can forget his returning to the field against San Francisco in 2011 with a punctured lung and two cracked ribs to lead the Cowboys to a come from behind victory? Who can forget Romo playing through the fourth quarter against the Commanders in 2013 with a herniated disc in his back, and leading the team to a critical win on the road?
What emerged over time was that Romo wasn’t carefree, but was a gym rat. He wasn’t soft, but was a physically and mentally tough player who overcame great odds to get to the level that he achieved. While he isn’t a Hall of Famer, Romo is a very good player who deserves better than his reputation.
For a franchise that had QB greats such as Staubach and Aikman, being in a group with Don Meredith and Danny White is pretty good company. Romo gave the franchise credibility again at the quarterback position, kept them competitive when the supporting cast was weak, and provided support and guidance to Dak Prescott when his body was unable to withstand the rigors of game play. Romo took the bricks thrown at him over the years by his critics, and authored a fine career that is equal parts success, tragedy and what could have been. And, on the day that he decided to walk away from the field to the broadcast booth, it’s this that should be remembered and recognized.
While some will remember him for the well-chronicled foibles, or for his final series last year against Philadelphia, I will remember him for the first time I saw him play in person – December 3, 2006 against the Giants in New Jersey. Romo had struggled a bit in this game, throwing two interceptions. The Giants had tied the game, 20-20 with 1:06 remaining. The Cowboys took over at their own 32, with two timeouts remaining. With the crowd at a fever pitch, Romo took the first down snap, drifted to his left, and found Jason Witten for a 42 yard gain deep down the seam to put the Cowboys into field goal range. Martin Gramatica kicked the game winner with :01 remaining, and the Cowboys stole one from the Giants on a day when Romo wasn’t at his best. I remember the grit and determination that he showed that afternoon in making the play when he had the crowd bellowing and some doubt in his mind for the first time as a starter.
The same grit and determination that led him from a partial scholarship at Eastern Illinois to a Pro Bowl level quarterback. A player that will only be truly appreciated once he is gone.
This is my perception.
This is also Tony Romo’s reality.
