Monday, October 19, 2009 12:25 PM CDT
Romo learned lessons on way to stardom
BY BRIAN NIELSEN, Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-ct.com
CHARLESTON -- Douglas Hall and Jerry’s Pizza.
If Tony Romo on Saturday night would have had more time, and were he, these days, not hounded by autograph seekers wherever he tried to go, the Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback said he would have revisited his old Eastern Illinois University dormitory and that Charleston restaurant near campus.
“I’d hit up Jerry’s,” Romo said. “I used to eat a lot of pizza there.”
Those, along with the touch of rain during part of EIU’s football win on Saturday, reminding the quarterback of that driving rain storm that Homecoming day his junior year when he did not attempt one pass but the Panthers beat Southeast Missouri 12-0, were among Romo’s happy memories on his visit back to Eastern where his No. 17 jersey was retired.
No so pleasant was this intramural basketball championship game he related Saturday morning during his acceptance speech at EIU’s Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
Ever the competitor, this former Burlington, Wis., high school basketball/football player as a freshman was upset enough after losing that intramural title game that he skipped the team’s study table later that night.
Romo told how the following day he was in the weight room for about six seconds before his offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Roy Wittke asked him why he missed study table.
This freshman’s answer was because he had lost the basketball game.
“Roy gets right in my face,” Romo said. “He said ‘That doesn’t matter. You’re either going to do things right or you’re going to be out of here.’ ”
Romo wound up doing enough things right to be the first EIU football player to have his jersey number retired and placed for full view just east of O’Brien Field.
Rather than yelling in Romo’s face, Wittke on Saturday was the quarterback’s presenter at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
This time the coach had nothing but praise.
“The best way to honor someone is to say thank you,” Wittke said then giving numerous reasons to say thanks.
Those included that game against Southeast Missouri when about 30 or 40 friends and relatives from Burlington, Wis., came to watch their EIU quarterback that day only for the weather conditions to keep the reigning Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year from attempting one pass.
“He didn’t complain,” Wittke said. “He just handed off and did what he needed to do to win. To me, that’s the ultimate team player.”
Wittke also credited Romo’s parents Ramiro and Joan and related a story from Eastern’s 0-2 start with losses to Hawaii and Kansas Sate.
Romo’s father said he needed to talk to Wittke, who was ready to field a complaint about play calling, the quarterback not getting to attempt enough passes or the offensive line not providing enough protection.
Instead, Ramiro expressed how upset he was about his son taking too many chances and not protecting the football. The dad wanted to yell at his son but asked for Wittke’s permission to do so.
Once that otherwise successful season was completed, Wittke, head coach Bob Spoo, Sports Information Director Dave Kidwell and Romo and his parents made the nine-hour trip to Chattanooga where Romo was named the Walter Payton Award winner as the NCAA Division I-AA’s player of the year.
“It was easy to see not only were they his parents but they were his best friends,” Wittke said. “In my mind, they are Hall of Fame parents.”
Given his turn to speak, Romo also praised his parents and others.
“I’ve been blessed to have incredible people in my life,” he said.
Both at his induction speech and then during a sideline press conference after his number was retired between the first and second quarters of the football game, Romo told how he was humbled by the honor, almost embarrassed.
He also kept things in perspective with lessons learned before he became a two-time Pro Bowler and face of the Dallas Cowboys.
“Just because you can throw a football or shoot a basketball doesn’t mean you’re any better than anybody else,” he said.
While Romo’s 85 touchdown passes thrown in his 1999-2002 college career were the most by any Eastern football player, Wittke remembers him for more than that.
“More so than anything else, I want to thank Tony for his smile,” the offensive coordinator said. “It’s real, it’s genuine. To me, it’s the trademark of his love of life and the love of the game.
“Remember, Tony, don’t ever stop smiling.”
Contact Brian Nielsen at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856.
Romo learned his lessons on the way to stardom
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