Tony Romo life and biography

Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo is a professional American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Romo's career passer rating - at 95.5 - ranks fourth-best all time. Romo replaced the Cowboys' previous starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe during a game against the New York Giants in the 2006 season.

PRO: In one of the more intriguing success stories in recent NFL history, Tony Romo ascended from the ranks of undrafted free agent - and three-year back-up quarterback - to a record setting, three-time Pro Bowl selection for the Dallas Cowboys. With 55 career regular season starts under his belt, Romo is well on his way to re-writing Cowboys passing records with his stellar and unique style of quarterback play. Elusive and instinctive in the pocket, he relies on a quick release, solid arm strength and excellent accuracy. His greatest asset may be his ability to see the field and find the open receiver - regardless of whether he is in a stationary position or eluding the pass rush. With a 38-17 regular season record as the Dallas starter, Romo led the Cowboys to 13 wins in 2007 - tying the franchise record for victories in a season. Along the way, he set single-season club marks for touchdown passes (36), completions (335), yardage (4,211) and 300-yard games (seven). He also set a Dallas mark for consecutive games with a touchdown pass with 17 straight between 2006 and 2007. His 2008 season was not as productive as 2007 after suffering a broken finger in his throwing hand at Arizona (10/12). Despite missing three games with the injury, Romo still threw for 300-or-more yards six times - second only to his seven from 2007 - while throwing for 3,448 yards - his second consecutive 3,000-plus yard season - to become the first quarterback with back-to-back 3,000-yard seasons since Troy Aikman (1995-97). Romo's third full season as a starter eclipsed his previous two as he became the first quarterback in club history to be on the field for every snap of the season. The 2009 season saw Romo set club records for attempts (550), completions (347), passing yards (4,483) and 300-yard games (eight) while throwing a career-low nine interceptions - tied for the fourth-fewest in a season in club history among quarterbacks with at least 300 attempts. He helped guide Dallas to an 11-5 record, the club's 17th NFC East Division title and Dallas' first playoff win since 1996. The 2009 season also saw Romo top 1,500 career attempts to make him eligible for career passing records. For his career, Romo has completed 1,178-of-1,857 (63.4%) for 15,045 yards and a passer rating of 95.6. He has thrown 107 career scoring passes against 55 interceptions. He ranks fourth in club history in completions and fifth in attempts, passing yards and touchdowns. Signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003, he made his first career start at the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 29, 2006, and, by December of that year, he became Dallas' first Pro Bowl quarterback since Aikman in 1996. Romo rose to prominence during a stretch in which six of his first 11 starts were nationally televised. In his first 10 regular season starts, he led the Cowboys to six victories and a playoff berth. He also led the NFL with 8.6 yards-per-pass attempt in 2006. His 95.1 quarterback rating as a first-time starter was the third-best in Cowboys history. He exceeded that mark with a 97.4 rating in 2007. After joining the Cowboys in 2003, Romo showed enough potential during training camp to become the third quarterback. He split time with Drew Henson as the backup quarterback in 2004 but became the primary backup quarterback behind Drew Bledsoe throughout 2005. He also was the holder for field goals and extra points from 2004 to 2006 and volunteered to hold again in 2009.

2009:
* Finished his third season as a full time starter eighth in the NFL in passer rating (97.6), third in yards (4,483), fifth in attempts (550), seventh in completions (347), 10th in touchdown passes (26) and 12th in completion percentage (63.1) taking every snap at quarterback for the first time in his career.
* Set single-season career-bests in completions (347), attempts (550), yards (4,483), quarterback rating (97.6) and interceptions (nine).
* In the season opener at Tampa Bay (9/13), set career-highs in passing yards (353), and long pass completion with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton. Also threw a 66-yard touchdown pass to Roy Williams for the fifth-longest pass completion of his career. His 353 passing yards also increased his club record of career 300-yard games to 17 and marked his third straight 300-yard outing on opening day. He became the first quarterback in club history to win the first three season-openers of his starting career.
* Finished with 127 passing yards on 13-of-27 completions with one touchdown and three interceptions against the N.Y. Giants (9/20) in the Cowboys Stadium debut. His quarterback passer rating of 29.6 marked the second-lowest of his career. He added one rush for a three-yard touchdown.
* In the thrilling overtime win at Kansas City (10/11), completed 20-of-34 passes for a 351 yards - the second-highest passing total of his career - with two touchdowns. Finished with a quarterback rating of 113.7 and completion percentage of 58.8. Had a long completion of 60 yards which came in overtime on the game-winning pass to Miles Austin.
* Finished with 311 passing yards - marking back-to-back 300-yard games - on 21-of-29 attempts with three touchdowns against Atlanta (10/25). His back-to-back 300-yard games marked the third of his career and his third 300-yard game of the season, tying for the third-most 300-yard games in a season in club history. His 72.4 completion percentage and 141.6 quarterback rating both marked season-highs, while the quarterback rating was the third-highest of his career behind 148.9 (vs. Tampa Bay, 11/23/06) and 141.7 (at Philadelphia, 11/4/07). He also did not throw an interception at Kansas City and again against Atlanta, marking just the second time in his career he has had back-to-back games without an interception.
* Completed 21-of-36 passes for 256 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions against Seattle (11/1). His three touchdown passes marked the third time this season and the 16th time of his career he had three-or-more touchdowns in a game - the third-most by a Cowboys quarterback. He finished with a quarterback rating of 108.1 marking his third straight game with a rating over 100.0 - his second-longest streak of games with a rating of over 100.0 (seven in 2007). Also completed passes to 10 different receivers - the first Cowboys quarterback to do so since Chad Hutchinson on 12/15/02.
* At Philadelphia (11/8) threw for 307 yards - his 20th career 300-yard outing and fourth of the season to mark the third-most in team history - on 21-of-34 completions with one touchdown and one interception with a passer rating of 88.7. His streak of attempts without an interception came to an end in the third quarter and snapped the longest streak of his career at 143 straight passing attempts without an interception.
* In his 50th career start against Oakland (11/26), completed 18-of-29 passes for 309 yards with two touchdowns. It marked his 21st career 300-yard game and fifth of the season - the third-most in a season in club history. It also marked his third 300-yard game on Thanksgiving Day - the most by any Cowboys quarterback. He has 12 career touchdown passes on Thanksgiving Day, which is second in team history behind Danny White's 14 Thanksgiving Day touchdown passes.
* Completed 41-of-55 passes for 392 yards to establish single-game personal bests for attempts, completions and yards at the N.Y. Giants (12/6). His completion percentage was 74.5 - establishing his best of the season - as he threw three touchdowns for the fourth time this season. He upped his career 300-yard passing games to 22, which marked his sixth of the season tying the second-most in a season in club history. His 55 attempts ranked second in team history behind Troy Aikman's 57 against Minnesota, 11/26/98, while his 41 completions set a club record.
* Against San Diego (12/13) was 19-of-30 for 249 yards with two touchdowns and a rating of 111.7 - which marked his third straight game with a rating over 100.0, the second such streak this season. His two touchdown passes marked his ninth consecutive game with a touchdown - the third-longest streak of his career. He has also attempted 122 consecutive passes without an interception - the second-longest streak of his career.
* Led the team to a 24-17 win over the previously undefeated Saints (12/19) completing 22-of-34 passes for 312 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.?Finished with a passer rating of 104.0 - his fourth consecutive game of a passer rating over 100.0, his eighth of the season and 30th of his career. Added four carries for 21 yards with a long run of 10 yards. With his one touchdown pass, he logged a touchdown in 10 consecutive games for the third-longest streak of his career. It also marked four straight games without an interception - the longest streak of his career. He upped his total to 156 consecutive passes without an interception, marking the longest streak of his career. Also upped his club record of 300-yard games to 23 and reached seven 300-yard games on the season tying his club record set in 2007.
* In the win to clinch a playoff berth at Washington (12/27), he completed 25-of-38 passes for 286 yards with one touchdown and one interception - snapping his interception-free streak at four consecutive games and after attempting 167 passes for the longest streak of his career and the third-longest in team history. His one touchdown toss marked his 11th consecutive game with a touchdown pass for the third-longest streak of his career. His 286 yards allowed him to pass 4,000 yards on the season (4,127), marking his second 4,000-yard season and the second-most in team history behind his 4,211 in 2007.
* Led the team to the NFC East Division title, completing 24-of-34 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns with one interception against Philadelphia (1/3/10). Finished with a quarterback rating of 106.4 to mark his ninth game of the season with a rating over 100.0 - the second-most in a season in his career. His two touchdown passes gave him a touchdown pass in 12 consecutive games - the second-longest streak of his career to tie Don Meredith (1965-66) and Roger Staubach (1977-78) for the third-longest streak in team history. His 311 passing yards upped his club record of career 300-yard games to 24 and marked his eighth of the season - a single-season club record.
* Threw for 244 yards on 23-of-35 attempts with two touchdowns and a 104.9 passer rating in the Wild Card Game against Philadelphia (1/9/10). His 244 passing yards upped his career playoff passing total to 634 to pass Don Meredith (551) and Craig Morton (630) for the fourth-most in team history, while his 23 completions gave him 58 for his career - also good for fourth in franchise history passing Meredith (38) and Morton (49).
* Was 22-of-35 for 198 yards with one interception for a quarterback rating of 66.1 in the Divisional Playoff loss at Minnesota (1/17/10). Was under heavy pressure the entire game, being sacked a postseason career-high six times.

2008:
* Finished his second season as a full-time starter eighth in the NFL in passer rating (91.4), sixth in touchdown passes (26), 12th in yards (3,448), 15th in completions (276) and 16th in completion percentage (61.3) and attempts (450), playing in 13 games after breaking a finger in his throwing hand in Week 6.
* Threw for 300-or-more yards in six contests - the second-most in a season in club history behind his seven in 2007.
* In the season-opening win at Cleveland (9/7), completed 24-of-32 passes for 320 yards - his 11th career 300-yard outing - with one touchdown and an interception.
* Threw for 300 yards for the 12th time in his career and second consecutive outing with 312 in the home-opening win against Philadelphia (9/15). Completed 21-of-30 passes to move into seventh in club record books with 919 career attempts and threw three touchdowns - the first was a then career-long 72-yard strike to Terrell Owens.
* Became the sixth Cowboys quarterback to eclipse 8,000 career passing yards and moved past Steve Pelluer (922) for sixth on the club's all-time pass attempts list after completing 17-of-30 passes for 260 yards, one touchdown and an interception at Green Bay (9/21).
* Against Washington (9/28) completed a season-high 28 passes on a season-high 47 attempts for 300 yards - his third 300-yard game of the season, 13th of his career - to tie him with Aikman for the most 300-yard games in a career in club history.
* Finished the game against Cincinnati (10/5) with a quarterback rating of 106.2, completing 14-of-23 passes for 176 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. Became the sixth club passer to reach 1,000 career attempts, finishing the game with 1,019 for his career.
* Established a club record with his 14th career 300-yard game, throwing for 321 yards - his fourth of the season, good for second in club single-season history - before fracturing his pinkie finger on his throwing hand in the overtime loss at Arizona (10/12).
* Was the backup quarterback but did not play at St. Louis (10/19) and was inactive against Tampa Bay (10/26) and at the N.Y. Giants (11/2) with the injury.
* Returned to the field as the starter at Washington (11/16) and led the team to a 14-10 win, completing 19-of-27 passes for 198 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. His 198 yards gave him 9,001 for his career to become the sixth signal caller in club history to top 9,000 career passing yards. His 19 completions gave him 702 for his career - good for fifth in club annals.
* Threw for a season-high 341 yards - his fifth 300-yard performance of the season and 15th of his career - on 23-of-39 passes with three touchdowns against San Francisco (11/23). Surpassed 2,000 yards on the season for the second consecutive year to become the first Cowboys passer to do so since Aikman had three (1997-99). His 75-yard touchdown pass to Owens established a career-long pass.
* In the Thanksgiving Day win over Seattle (11/27), led Dallas on four scoring drives in each of its first four possessions. Finished with three touchdown throws for the sixth time this season which also tied for the third-most on Thanksgiving Day. His 331 yards were the fourth-most by a Dallas quarterback on Thanksgiving Day and was good for his sixth 300-yard game of the season and 16th of his career.
* Completed 19-of-36 passes for 210 yards with one touchdown and a season-high three interceptions at Pittsburgh (12/7).
* Threw for 244 yards on 20-of-30 passing with two touchdowns against the N.Y. Giants (12/14). His 244 yards gave him 10,127 for his career to become the sixth quarterback in franchise history to pass the 10,000-yard mark. It also gave him his second consecutive 3,000-yard season.
* Completed 24-of-45 passes for 252 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions against Baltimore (12/20) - the final game at Texas Stadium. His 252 yards allowed him to move into fifth all-time in club history with 10,379 and his two touchdowns gave him 81 for his career - good for fifth as well.
* Was 21-of-39 for 183 yards with an interception in the season-ending loss at Philadelphia (12/28).

2007:
* In his first full season as a starter, turned in the most prolific year by any Dallas quarterback in club history to date and led Dallas to a club-record tying 13-3 record.
* Earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl selection and was the NFC's starting signal caller in Hawaii.
* Finished the 2007 season as the NFC's top rated passer (fifth in the NFL) with a rating of 97.4, the third-best single-season rating in club history.
* Established Dallas single-season records for touchdown passes (36), passing yardage (4,211), completions (335), 300-yard games (seven), and his completion percentage of 64.4% was the sixth-highest single-season mark in team history.
* Led the NFC in touchdown passes (second in the NFL) and yards-per-attempt (8.10 - also second in the NFL). Was second in the conference in yards (third in the NFL) and third in the NFC in completion percentage (ninth in the NFL).
* Dating back to 2006, set a club record for throwing at least one touchdown pass in 17 consecutive games.
* In the season-opening win over the N.Y. Giants (9/9), turned in perhaps his most complete outing as a pro to date. Completed 15-of-24 passes for a career-high 345 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. His 345 passing yards allowed him to become the third Dallas quarterback (Don Meredith - 1963 and Vinny Testaverde - 2004) to throw 300-or-more yards in consecutive games (had 321 yards in the 2006 season-finale against Detroit). Each one of his 15 completions went for at least 10 yards and his yards-per-attempt average of 14.38 was the third-highest single-game average by a Dallas signal caller in club history. Also added his first career rushing touchdown on a nine-yard keeper.
* At Chicago (9/23) not only notched the then second-most passing yards in his career (329), but also helped Dallas achieve a 3-0 record to start the season for the first time since 1999. Hit on 22-of-35 passes for 329 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. Romo's performance enabled him to reach 3,501 career passing yards - joining Kurt Warner (3,559) and Marc Bulger (3,534) - as the only Super Bowl era quarterbacks to pass for more than 3,500 yards in their first 13 career starts.
* In completing 21-of-33 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns against the Rams (9/30), became the 10th Cowboys quarterback to surpass 4,000 career passing yards. His 59-yard touchdown ball to Patrick Crayton marked the longest completion of Romo's career to date. The performance marked his second-highest passing yardage total for a single game and the sixth 300-yard outing of his career. Also tied the club record for 300-yard games in a season with three. Two of his biggest plays in the game came in running situations - the first play involved a shotgun snap that sailed over his head and led to a long retreat and scramble for a four-yard gain and a first down, on third down, putting Dallas in position for Romo to run 15 yards for a touchdown with 11 seconds remaining in the first half - giving Dallas a 14-7 lead at the intermission.
* At Buffalo (10/8) battled back from a turnover-plagued game in which he threw a career-high five interceptions along with one fumble to finish the game strong against the Bills and lead the team to victory on a last-chance drive to set up the winning field goal. In going 29-of-50 for 309 yards and two touchdowns, notched his third-consecutive 300-yard passing game, giving him the longest streak amongst Cowboys passers all-time, while also allowing him to become the franchise's all-time leader in 300-yard games in a season with four. His two touchdowns (32) helped him overtake Drew Bledsoe (30) for seventh place in team history for career touchdown passes.
* In the first half of the victory over Minnesota (10/21), completed 28-of-32 passing attempts (87.5%) for 231 yards and one touchdown and finished the day with 31 completions on 39 attempts for 277 yards and a rating of 104.8. His 31 completions established a then single-game career-high. Reached 370 career completions moving past Eddie LeBaron (359) for ninth place in team record books. His 277 passing yards enabled Romo to raise his career total to 4,887 and move past Bledsoe (4,803) for the ninth-most passing yards in club history.
* By completing 20-of-25 passes for 324 yards in the win at Philadelphia (11/4), racked up a completion percentage of 80.0%, marking the best single-game completion percentage of the season - second-best of his career. Also threw three touchdown passes with one interception. Was his eighth career 300-yard day (third-most in club history) and fifth of the season. Also became the ninth quarterback in franchise history to reach 5,000 career passing yards.
* In the 31-20 win at the N.Y. Giants (11/11), completed 20-of-28 passes (71.4%) for 247 yards and four touchdowns. Was the third time in his career that he has thrown at least four touchdown passes (the second time this season) in a game. His 20 completions moved him into eighth place on the Cowboys all-time completions list with 410.
* Against Washington (11/18) completed 22-of-32 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns to Owens with one sack and one interception. Marked the sixth time in his career where he has had at least three touchdown passes in a game - the second time he has had four-or-more. Became the first quarterback in team history to throw four touchdowns in back-to-back games.
* With two touchdown passes in the Thanksgiving Day win over the N.Y. Jets (11/22), tied White's single-season club mark of 29 for scoring passes that was set in 1983. For the afternoon, completed 21-of-28 passes (75.0%) for 195 yards, the two scores and an interception.
* In completing 19-of-30 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns against Green Bay (11/29), raised his season total for touchdown passes to 33 and broke White's previous club mark of 29 (1983). His four touchdown passes also gave him the Dallas single-season record for games with at least four touchdown passes (four) - previous mark was held by Meredith (three) in 1966.
* At Detroit (12/9) completed 35-of-44 passing attempts for 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns to spark Dallas' last-minute come-from-behind 28-27 victory that clinched the club's first division title since 1998. While trailing 27-21 with 2:15 remaining in the game - and no time outs remaining - led Dallas on an 11-play, 78-yard scoring drive that culminated in a 16-yard touchdown pass to Witten that provided the final margin of victory with just 0:18 remaining in the game. Completed eight-of-10 passes on the game-winning scoring drive. Established a team record for consecutive games of throwing at least one touchdown pass (17) - Aikman (16) in 1993-94. Raised his club record of 300-yard games in a season to seven, tying White for the second-most 300-yard career passing games with 10. Moved ahead of Pelluer (6,555) into sixth place on the Cowboys all-time passing yardage list with 6,557 career yards. Logged his seventh consecutive game with a passer rating above 100.0 - marking the fifth-longest streak since the passer rating system was implemented in 1973. His 35 completions were a single-game career-best and set a club record.
* Against Philadelphia (12/16) experienced his worst career passer rating as a starter to date and completed 13-of-36 passes for 214 yards with three interceptions. Also ended a club record streak of 17 straight games in which he had thrown at least one touchdown pass.
* At Carolina (12/22) completed 28-of-42 passes for 257 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Set a Cowboys record for passing yardage in a single season with 4,125 - eclipsing the previous mark of 3,980 that was held by White (1983). The 10-yard touchdown pass to Owens raised Romo's single-season record for touchdown passes to 36.
* At Washington (12/30) saw action only in the first half and through the first drive of the third quarter. Completed seven-of-16 passing attempts for 86 yards and one interception and was relieved by Brad Johnson after the opening drive of the second half.
* In the playoff loss to the N.Y. Giants (1/13/08), Romo's second career postseason game, completed 18-of-36 passes for 201 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

2006:
* After completing 69.6 percent of his passes in four preseason games, Romo's storybook regular season in 2006 had a familiar beginning - on the bench as the backup quarterback to Bledsoe.
* His role changed at halftime of the sixth game, a Monday night loss to the N.Y. Giants (10/23) at Texas Stadium. Romo replaced Bledsoe as the starter in the third quarter, beginning a whirlwind journey that ended with a Pro Bowl selection December 19.
* Became the sixth Cowboys quarterback to make the Pro Bowl, and the first since Troy Aikman in 1996.
* His 95.1 quarterback rating was the third-highest in club history, behind Roger Staubach's 104.8 in 1971 and Aikman's 99.0 in 1993. It also ranked fifth in the NFL and third in the NFC.
* In his 10 regular season starts, completed 204-of-310 passing attempts (65.8 percent) for 2,641 yards and 16 touchdowns with 10 interceptions for a 96.2 rating.
* The Cowboys went 6-4 in the regular season when Romo started.
* Became the first Dallas starting quarterback to throw for more than 220 yards in his first eight career starts, a streak that was snapped in the loss to Philadelphia (12/25).
* Closed the year first in the NFL with 8.6 yards-per-passing attempt.
* Finished second in the NFL with a 65.28 percent completion rate and a 5.6 touchdown percentage rate.
* His completion percentage was the third-best in club history, behind Aikman's 69.13 percent in 1993 and Aikman's 65.29 percent in 1991.
* Also threw for more than 250 yards in three consecutive games in 2006, becoming the first Cowboys quarterback to accomplish that feat since Aikman did it in the first four games of the 1993 season.
* Behind Romo's emergence, the Cowboys had one of the most productive and efficient offensive seasons in club history scoring 425 points (26.6 points-per-game), the fourth-most in the NFL, the most by the Cowboys since 1995, and the fourth-most by the Cowboys since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978.
* Dallas was second in the NFL with a 48.8 third down efficiency, the club's highest rating since 1980.
* Dallas averaged 360.8 total yards-per-game, the fifth-most in the NFL in 2006 and the most by the Cowboys since 1995.
* The Cowboys produced two 1,000-yard receivers (Owens and Terry Glenn) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Julius Jones) in the same season for just the second time in team history.
* Before his first start in 2006, saw significant action in the fourth quarter of the win against Houston (10/15). Completed his first career pass attempt to Sam Hurd for a 33-yard gain. His second pass resulted in a two-yard touchdown by Owens.
* Replaced Bledsoe to start the second half in the Monday night loss to the N.Y. Giants (10/23) and completed 14-of-25 passes for 227 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. His second passing touchdown was a 53-yard pass to Crayton, the Cowboys second-longest completion of the season.
* In the nationally televised Sunday night win at Carolina (10/29), made his first start and led the team to a 35-14 victory. Went 24-of-36 passing for 270 yards, one touchdown, one interception and was sacked twice with an 86.6 quarterback rating. Became the 13th quarterback in Dallas history to earn a victory in his starting debut. His 270 passing yards were the second-most by a Cowboys quarterback who won his first start.
* In his second career start, at Washington (11/5), was 24-of-36 passing for 284 yards with no interceptions and threw for two touchdowns for the third week in a row.
* In the 27-10 win at Arizona (11/12), was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after posting a 126.8 quarterback rating. Completed 20-of-29 passes for 308 yards and two touchdowns. Was the first 300-yard game of Romo's career. Extended his streak of consecutive passes without an interception to 94 attempts and also threw a touchdown for the fourth consecutive game. In the second half, was 10-of-10 passing for 144 yards and a touchdown.
* In the 21-14 win over previously undefeated Indianapolis (11/19), threw for 226 yards and completed 19-of-23 passes, an 82.6 percent completion rate, the third-best in club history. A first quarter interception snapped his streak of consecutive passing attempts without an interception at 98.
* In the Thanksgiving Day win over Tampa Bay (11/23), completed 22-of-29 passes for 306 yards and a club- record tying five touchdowns. Posted a quarterback rating of 148.9 and was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three games. Became the first Dallas quarterback to throw five touchdown passes since Aikman at Washington (9/12/99) and just the ninth time in club history. From the second quarter to the fourth, Romo completed 13 consecutive passes, tying the second-longest streak in club history (14-Pelluer and Randall Cunningham).
* In November, Romo's first full month as an NFL starter, helped Dallas go 3-1 and was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month. Completed 85-of-117 passes (72.6 percent) for 1,124 yards, nine touchdowns, and one interception and had a quarterback rating of 124.7 for the month.
* In the last-minute win at the N.Y. Giants (12/3), completed 20-of-34 passes for 257 yards with two interceptions. With 1:06 left in the game and the score tied 20-20, directed a six-play drive highlighted by a 42-yard completion to Witten that set Dallas up for the game-winning, 46-yard Martin Gramatica field goal with six seconds remaining. Led Dallas on three scoring drives in the second half and each of them came after the Giants scored to tie the game.
* In the Sunday night game against New Orleans (12/10), lost his first home game as a Cowboys starter. Completed 16-of-33 passes for 249 yards and one touchdown with two interceptions.
* In the playoff-clinching win at Atlanta (12/16), completed 22-of-29 passes (75.9 percent) for 278 yards and two touchdowns. Was sacked three times and threw one interception with a quarterback rating of 113.9.
* Against Detroit (12/31) completed 23-of-32 passes (71.9 percent) for a then career-high 321 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception for a quarterback rating of 111.6. His 56-yard touchdown pass to Owens was the longest completion of Romo's career to date and the longest reception of the season for Owens.
* In the playoff loss at Seattle (1/6/07), completed 17-of-29 passes (58.6 percent) for 189 yards and one touchdown for an 89.6 quarterback rating. His first career postseason touchdown pass was a 13-yarder that gave Dallas a 10-6 lead with 11 seconds left in the first half. Guided Dallas on an eight-play, 70-yard drive in the game's final minutes to set up a potential game-winning field goal. He bobbled the snap, however, and was tackled just short of the end zone.

2005:
* Beat out Drew Henson in training camp to be the backup quarterback.
* In the preseason, completed 23-of-37 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown.
* Played in 16 regular season games, serving as the team's holder for place kicks.
* Against Philadelphia (10/16) took a knee on the final drive of the game to run out the clock.

2004:
* Was locked in a training camp battle for the backup quarterback job with Henson.
* After completing 24-of-39 passes for 250 yards, with a touchdown and two interceptions in the preseason, started the season as the backup quarterback and held the role for the first six games.
* Took over as the holder for PATs and field goals in the season opener at Minnesota (9/12).
* Became the club's full-time holder the following week against Cleveland (9/19).
* For seven games, beginning with the game against Detroit (10/31), was the team's third quarterback.
* Returned to the backup role at Philadelphia (12/19) and against Washington (12/26), but did not play with the offense.
* Closed the season at the N.Y. Giants (1/2/05) as the third quarterback.

2003:
* Signed with the Cowboys as a rookie free agent on May 1.
* Spent the entire season as the club's third quarterback.
* In the preseason, completed nine-of-17 passes for 134 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
* Was one-of-four rookie free agents to make the full-time roster following training camp.

COLLEGE:
* Capped an outstanding career at Eastern Illinois University by being named the 2002 recipient of the Walter Payton Award, given annually to the nation's top player in Division I-AA.
* Became the first player from the Ohio Valley Conference to ever win the prestigious Payton Award.
* Finished his career as the school's and conference's all-time leader with 85 touchdown passes.
* Was second in school history and third in conference history with 8,212 passing yards.
* Was also second in school history with 584 completions and 941 attempts.
* As a senior, set school and conference records with 258 completions (407 attempts).
* His 3,615 passing yards as a senior were the second-most in a season in conference history and third-most in school history.
* Had 34 touchdowns passes in his final collegiate campaign.
* As a junior, led Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 138-of-207 passes for 2,068 yards and 21 touchdowns.
* Earned All-America and All-Ohio Valley Conference honors and was named the OVC Player of the Year after his junior year.
* As a sophomore, ranked second in Division I-AA in passing efficiency, completing 164-of-278 passes for 2,583 yards and 27 touchdowns.
* Named All-America honorable mention, All-OVC, and the OVC Player of the Year following his sophomore season.

PERSONAL:

* Tony Romo attended Burlington, Wisc., High School.
* Was a three-year letter winner in football, and was one of the best high school golfers and basketball players in the state.
* Majored in communications at Eastern Illinois.
* Has attempted to qualify for the 2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Byron Nelson Tournaments and the 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 U.S. Opens - falling short in each effort.

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