Antonio Ramiro "Tony" Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Eastern Illinois University, an NCAA Division I-AA school. At Eastern Illinois, Romo won the Walter Payton Award in 2002, and led the Panthers football team to an Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2001. Since 2006, Romo has a higher passer rating than any other NFL quarterback in the 4th quarter.
Not selected in the 2003 NFL Draft, Romo signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. After two seasons as a holder, Romo replaced the Cowboys' previous starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe during a game against the New York Giants in the 2006 season. Romo was a Pro Bowl selection for the 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2014 seasons, all seasons in which the Dallas Cowboys made the playoffs. He has also broken Dallas Cowboys team records including most games with at least 300 passing yards and games with three or more touchdown passes.
Romo was born in San Diego, California, while his father, Ramiro Romo, Jr., was serving in the United States Navy, and his mother, Joan (Jakubowski) Romo, was a store clerk. His family returned to their home in Burlington, Wisconsin. Romo played baseball as a child and was selected to the Little League All-Star team. Romo started as quarterback for the Burlington High School Demons beginning as a junior (1996 season). In the 1997 season, Romo and the Demons finished with a 3–6 record, though he earned several honors, including the All-Racine County football team and Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State first team honors. Romo also was a starter on the BHS varsity basketball team and also played golf and tennis. Romo graduated from Burlington High in 1998.
