NFL fans today might be extremely familiar with his voice during broadcasts, but before he was an essential part of the viewing experience, Tony Romo was lighting up the field for the Dallas Cowboys.
During a 13-season-long career with the franchise, he became a household name in the sport, accumulating various records and accolades. However, nearly a decade after his career came to an end, there is one specific regret that he still carries with him.
Tony Romo Reflects on His Dallas Cowboys Tenure
An undrafted free agent in 2003, Romo was never supposed to scale the heights he eventually would. Through his first three years, he played in a third-string and backup quarterback role for the team.
However, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones saw the upside in him, demanding a second-round pick at the minimum in a potential trade. Eventually, in 2006, his belief was proven correct when Romo took over the starting reins from Drew Bledsoe midway through the season.
From that point forward, he was the starting quarterback for America’s team until the 2015 NFL season, during which injuries derailed him and led to an early retirement.
Reflecting back on his time with the Cowboys during a recent appearance on the “Pardon My Take” podcast, he was asked about the one thing he would do over from his tenure.
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“I’m not a guy with big regrets, I guess you could say,” he said, per CBS. “The only regret, I guess, I would have is that… my job was to bring a Super Bowl to Dallas, and I didn’t do it. So that always sticks with me a little bit. Because you give your whole body, heart, soul, everything into it, and you just wanted that for… all the fans, the Joneses, for everybody that you’re around.”
During his time in Dallas, Romo suited up in four different playoff runs. However, he only won two combined games in those trips to the postseason, averaging less than 220 passing yards and 1.5 touchdowns per game in his six outings.
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As a result, that regret remains deep in him. “And so that one always sticks with me a little bit just because I had that opportunity and just wasn’t able to do it. So that part of it kind of still… sits there.”
Nearly a decade removed from his retirement, the Cowboys are still searching for their first Super Bowl title in over three decades. After Romo, Dak Prescott has taken over the quarterback mantle for the team.
Even though they’ve come close, they’ve yet to sniff a Conference Championship Game. This year, with a revamped defense and an already explosive offense, the hope is that the Cowboys can finally break their curse.
He might not be on the field suiting up for them anymore, but Romo would be firmly behind that run, as Dallas achieves its dream.
