Tony Romo is a quiet, normal guy, who just happens to be the face of the most spotlighted job in the NFL: The starting quarterback of “America’s Team”, the Dallas Cowboys.

Born in San Diego, California, Romo and his family moved to Wisconsin when he was just two years old. He grew up idolizing Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre, and you can see the similarities on the field. Tony Romo also began his sports career in Wisconsin where in high school, he lettered in football, basketball, and golf. From there, he took his skills to the gridiron to play for Eastern Illinois. He played quite well at the small school and gained some recognition, winning the Walter Payton Award in 2002, which is given to the nation’s top Division I-AA player.

He went undrafted in 2003 and signed with the Cowboys as a rookie free agent. After having a solid training camp, he made the team as their third quarterback. He stayed a backup for three seasons before getting a chance to show his worth.

In 2006, Romo replaced then starting-quarterback Drew Bledsoe after halftime in the Cowboys’ Week 6 matchup against the Giants. The Cowboys never looked back. Romo would help lead the team to the playoffs, and earned himself a trip to Hawaii as a pro-bowl quarterback. The playoffs however, were something to forget. After playing well against the Seahawks, Romo saw his team down by one in the final minutes of the game. He led the Cowboys on an eight play, 70-yard-drive to set up for the potential game winning field goal. But he bobbled the snap, and was tackled short of the first down. It was said that he wouldn’t be able to come back from such a blunder and that it’ll affect his play for the rest of the career.

The season after the mistake truly defined what kind of a player and person Tony Romo really is, however.

With the bobble still fresh on everybody’s mind, Romo headed into the 2007 season with a huge chip on his shoulder. He responded by having a record-breaking season as the Cowboys starting quarterback. He set records for yardage (4,211), touchdown passes (36), passing completions (335), and 300-yard games (seven). The Cowboys also won 13 games that season, tying a club record. But the playoffs were unkind once again. The Cowboys lost to the underdog New York Giants at Texas Stadium, propelling everyone to once again ask if Romo can lead the Cowboys deep into the playoffs.

In his free time, Romo likes to play golf and has attempted to qualify for several US Open and Byron Nelson tournaments, but hasn’t been able to make the cut, falling just short each time. He’s also had quite a prolific list of girlfriends. He was dating country star Carrie Underwood, seen with actress Sophia Bush, and is currently dating pop star Jessica Simpson.

Romo has also lent a hand to charity as well. The Cowboys quarterback is often seen attending events held by The United Way, Salvation Army, The Make-A-Wish foundation, as well as fellow team-member organized fundraisers.

In October of 2007, Romo signed a seven-year contract with the Cowboys, leaving no doubt that he is their future.

Romo on the Web

Official Tony Romo Website
Official website that features bio, pictures, a fan club, and links. Still under construction.

Official Dallas Cowboys website: Tony Romo player page
Team’s official page; contains short bio, stats, and transaction summary

Yahoo! Sports: Tony Romo news and notes
The latest news and notes on Tony Romo, as well as career stats, fantasy updates.

Latest on Romo

Romo is set to embark on the 2008 NFL Season and hopefully help lead the Cowboys into the playoffs and beyond.

News and Commentary

ESPN: Tony Romo’s father diagnosed with Prostate Cancer
Sad news for the Romo family as Ramiro Romo was diagnosed with Cancer.

NFL.com: 2007 Training camp interview with Tony Romo
Tony Romo sits down with Deion Sanders and Fran Charles for an interview before the ’07 season.

Without Romo, Cowboys would be in big trouble
A commentary on how important Tony Romo really is to the Dallas Cowboys.

Romo Says

On his playing style:

“You try and work hard and get better each week. I play the game with passion. I enjoy the game. It’s a lot of fun when I’m out there. That’s the way I play. For some reason, people like that.”

On being a star Quarterback:

“Fame is fleeting. That stuff comes and goes. You know, as soon as I play poorly … you won’t be doing this interview–you’ll be interviewing the next guy.”

On his outlook on life:

“If something in sports is the worst thing that ever happens to you, you’ve lived a pretty good life.”