Tabloid headlines in past as Romo matures into successful NFL quarterback
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- You might know Tony Romo as the guy who was hand-picked by Bill Parcells to be the Cowboys quarterback of the future, thrust into the limelight that comes with the job. Of course, he found a way to become bigger than that -- he became a pop-culture figure along the lines of Octomom and Balloon Boy.
If you were to meet him, you'd expect to see a familiar blonde singer wrapped in his arm. Or if you were to meet him at all, you'd think it would be in Cabo San Lucas.
Well, the guy isn't in Cabo, and he's not dating a Jessica or a Carrie or a whoever. He's not flanked by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and he's not walking around with TMZ-inspired camcorders in his face.
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| Tony Romo has learned about coping with the pressure of being the Dallas QB. (US Presswire) |
Not only did he pass for a career-best 4,483 yards with a career-low nine interceptions this season, but he did something he had not done before: He won a playoff game. This after not melting down in December, not being part of a distraction and most importantly not being an on-field detriment.
"I'm a much-improved player than I was [in 2007] when I look at myself," Romo said following Thursday's Pro Bowl practice. "There was too much 'randomness' involved in my game back then to do what needed to be done.
"You can kick yourself all you want, but that's why you have to keep improving, keep trying to get better because when the opportunity comes again, you'll be ready for it."
Romo seems focused like never before. If he had gone through a version of celebrity rehab, it was for getting over himself. Bring up the days of his picture on the cover of grocery store tabloids and he shrugs with humility.
"I don't think that I'm that important and that everyone's talking about me or thinking about me 24/7," Romo said sternly. "I don't care what else happens, what people say or how they go about it. ... As time goes on, you learn and you understand and you're accepting of things that are out of your control. But the things you can control, you control, and you work your butt off to control those things."
This meshes with an interesting analogy Romo made about quarterback progression, and certainly something that makes perfect sense when you recall Romo's days of gossip-column headlines involving his relationships with women coupled with sports-section headlines involving his relationship with Terrell Owens.
"It's just like a sophomore kid in high school who's the quarterback," Romo said. "You have a lot of older kids and it's hard to tell them what to do when they've been through the fire. They've been through these games and they know the process whereas [the sophomore] is just learning. With me, it's no different. It's becoming that junior and that senior and being able to grab a hold of the offense and let people know what you expect. It's a maturation process that takes place."
The leaf Romo has turned over includes standing up for receivers in the face of skepticism. Case in point: Roy Williams. The Cowboys sent a bunch of draft picks to the Lions for Williams, then gave him a lucrative extension only to see him finish fourth on the team in receiving yards in 2009.
Uncharacteristically -- or maybe now it is in character -- Romo dismisses Williams' receiving numbers and still says the season was a success.
"I don't think about it the way that you guys do," Romo said referring to the media. "You guys put it as numbers. The ball gets spread around in our offense consistently. Some games seven or 10 guys catch passes. It's strictly about the way the defense is playing each week.
"Anybody who plays Roy or Miles' position, the production side of it you guys are going to look at numbers-wise. But Roy did a lot of good things as well this year that weren't seen. He was a great downfield blocker, he did a great job in the run game and he made some big catches in some big games this year for us that helped propel us to wins.
"I would think that as we move forward, that production side will continue to grow each year."
Romo doesn't deny the importance of Miles Austin's breakout season as a big reason for his on-field growth, nor does he downplay his relationship with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who by all signs is staying with the Cowboys in 2010.
Romo also credits the work he put in this offseason to becoming a better player. In throwing fewer interceptions this year he also took more sacks, a sign that he didn't try to make a play when he thought he had to. He also worked this offseason on being conscious of how he held the football and dealing with defensive pressure, which he also was better at for much of 2009 until the Vikings ate him up in the divisional playoffs.
So with the on-field pressure easier to cope with, along with the off-field pressure of being "the guy" in Dallas, the only pressure left is answering questions about what's next. Before, the questions were about when he'd win in December and when he'd win a playoff game. Now they're about winning a Super Bowl.
"That means the expectations are higher," said Romo, this time with a smile. "If your expectations aren't a Super Bowl, then you're probably not doing things the right way. We're not playing this game to make the playoffs and have a good time, you know? It's about getting better, winning Super Bowls and being the player you can be and enjoying the process."
Romo isn't saying what he'd like to improve on next, but he hints it's not something that will take a lot of time. In fact, he's planning to try out his new nuance in the Pro Bowl on Sunday. If it blows up in his face, it's of very little consequence since it will happen in an inconsequential game. Good thing the Cowboys coaching staff is leading the NFC squad.
Romo also addressed the issue of the Cowboys ranking second in offensive yards but 14th in the league in scoring.
"That's a big area that we're going to stress the importance at getting better at next year," he said. "I think I have a couple of ideas as to why and how, but we'll go back and look at it and we'll be better at it."
Leave it to Romo to start building up suspense for next season. Maybe he still has some Hollywood left in him after all.
As for 2010, Romo began preparing last Sunday, as in before he received his Pro Bowl invite. The 2009 season is almost in the rear-view -- he said he still has a bad taste in his mouth from it and is still "emotionally invested" in the outcome of Super Bowl XLIV -- but he feels like the slate is clean and a new story is ready to be written.
"If you have the pieces in place, you have a chance each year," Romo said. "If you have a good defense and a good quarterback, you have a chance each year. I don't know what we got at quarterback but I know we got a good defense."
The Cowboys do know what they have at quarterback: A quarterback. Not a celebrity. And they'll be better off for it.
