Respect, Tony Romo, Respect.
16 Nov, 2016
Breaking his silence Tuesday, Tony Romo acknowledged his place behind Dak Prescott with the Dallas Cowboys while still expressing a competitive fire.
In his first comments this season, Romo read from a prepared statement and did not take questions ahead of his anticipated return Sunday as a backup to the rookie quarterback. Romo broke a bone in his back during an Aug. 25 preseason game, with Prescott taking over as the starter and excelling in his place.
Romo said Prescott deserved to maintain the starting role after leading the Cowboys to eight consecutive wins.
“He’s earned the right to be our quarterback,” Romo said. “As hard as that is for me to say, he’s earned that right. He’s guided our team to an 8-1 record and that’s hard to do.”
While not addressing his future, Romo emphasized that he’s not thinking about winding down his playing career.
“If you think for a second that I don’t want to be out there, then you probably never felt the pure ecstasy of competing and winning,” Romo said. “That hasn’t left me. In fact, it may burn now more than ever.”
Romo said he would continue to mentor Prescott and that he did not want to get in the way of the Cowboys’ successful season.
“I’m not gonna allow this situation to negatively affect Dak or this football team by becoming a constant distraction. I think Dak knows that I have his back, and I think I know that he has mine. Ultimately it’s about the team – it’s what we’ve preached our entire lives.”
Romo’s full remarks are included below:
“To say the first half of the season has been emotional would be a huge understatement. Getting hurt when you feel like you have the best team you ever have was a soul-crushing moment for me. Then to learn it’s not three or four weeks but 10 is another blow. And through it all you have a tremendous amount of guilt about letting your teammates, fans and organization down. After all, they were depending on you to bring them a championship – that’s what quarterbacks are supposed to do, that’s how we’re judged. But then here you are, sidelined without any real ability to help your teammates win on the field. That’s when you’re forced to come face to face with what’s happening.
“Seasons are fleeting, games become more precious, chances for success diminish. Your potential successor has arrived, injured two years in a row and now in your mid-30s. The press is whispering, everyone has doubts. You spent your career working to get here. Now you have to start all over. You almost feel like an outsider. Coaches are sympathetic, but they still have to coach, and you’re not there. It’s a dark place, probably the darkest it’s ever been. You’re sad and down and out, and you ask yourself ‘why did this have to happen?'”
“It’s in this moment you find out who you really are, and what you’re really about. You see football is a meritocracy. You aren’t handed anything. You earn everything, every single day, over and over again you have to prove it. That’s the way that the NFL, football works.
“A great example of this is Dak Prescott. He’s earned the right to be our quarterback. As hard as that is for me to say, he’s earned that right. He’s guided our team to an 8-1 record and that’s hard to do. If you think for a second that I don’t want to be out there, then you probably never felt the pure ecstasy of competing and winning. That hasn’t left me. In fact, it may burn now more than ever.
“It’s not always easy to watch. I think anybody who’s been in this position understands that. But what is clear is that I was that kid once: stepping in, having to prove yourself – I remember the feeling like it was yesterday. It really is an incredible time in your life. If I remember one thing from back then, it’s the people that helped me along when I was young. If I could be that to Dak – I’ve tried to be and I will be going forward. I think you all know something magical is happening to our team. I’m not gonna allow this situation to negatively affect Dak or this football team by becoming a constant distraction. I think Dak knows that I have his back, and I think I know that he has mine. Ultimately it’s about the team – it’s what we’ve preached our entire lives.
“I can remember when I was a kid just starting out and wanting to be part of something bigger than myself. For every high school kid out there or college player, there’s greatness in being the kind of teammate who truly wants to be part of the team. Everyone wants to be the reason they’re winning or losing. Every single one of us wants to be that person. But there are special moments that come from a shared commitment, to play a role while doing it together. That’s what you remember – not your stats or your prestige, but the relationships and the achievement you achieved through a group. It’s hard to do, but there’s great joy in that. And all the while your desire burns to be the best you’ve ever been. You can be both – I’ve figured that you in this process. It’s what separates sports from everything else. It’s why we love it, why we trust it, it’s why I still want to play and compete.”
Lastly, I just want to leave you with something I’ve learned in this process. You know, I feel like we have two battles or two enemies going on: One with the man across from you, the second is with the man inside of you. I think once you control the one inside of you, the one across from you really doesn’t matter. I think that’s what we’re all trying to do.”
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