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If you are counting the people who are still in Tony Romo’s corner following his DUI arrest — and possibly the undoing of his lucrative broadcasting career — put Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at the front of that group.
Jones came to Romo’s defense following his arrest on July 23 on allegations of driving under the influence in Wisconsin.
Speaking to Fox 4 Dallas-Fort Worth’s Mike Doocy from Cowboys training camp in Oxnard, California, Jones was 1 of the few to stick up for Romo over the last week, and said he’d been in communication with Romo several times since the arrest.
"I’ve been talking to him … I love him, I love what he’s about, I love his character,” Jones told Doocy. “He’s a very, very unique talent, and the real question is, and I don’t even have to ask what the answer is, is do you think Tony Romo knows how to get up when he gets knocked down? He’s had a life of that. And that’s one of his greatest attributes. He can handle adversity and this is something that he will work through.”
Romo was put on indefinite leave by CBS Sports as their lead NFL color commentator following his arrest, with 3-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt taking his spot alongside play-by-play man Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracey Wolfson on the network’s No. 1 NFL coverage team.
“There have been very few players Jerry Jones and family have held in higher regard than Tony Romo,” NFL reporter Ed Werder wrote on his official X account on August 1.
Tony Romo, CBS Sports at Odds Over Contract
Romo signed a 10-year, $180 million contract with CBS Sports in 2020 that 1 television executive told The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand was the “worst contract in media history.”
While earning praise for his acuity and wit on broadcasts before signing the contract, Romo has turned into a liability in the years since.
"CBS clearly does not want the cloud from this story to shade its most important property,” Marchand wrote on July 31. ” … Romo comes across as a very affable guy and many have described him to me over the years as a ‘big kid.’ But he is not known as a hard worker, and it has shown on the air. Prior to his massive new deal, Nantz and Romo were welcoming comparisons to Pat Summerall and John Madden. Since then, the duo has regressed, and Romo often sounded unprepared, saying odd things.”
Tony Romo Defined Era for Cowboys
Romo played for the Cowboys from 2003 to 2016, where he was a 4-time Pro Bowl selection and earned NFL All-Pro honors in 2014.
Romo made the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and became the full-time starter in 2006. In 10 seasons as a starter, Romo led the Cowboys to the playoffs 4 times before a preseason back injury saw him lose his starting job to current Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in 2016.
Romo retired after the season and went directly into the broadcast booth.
In 13 seasons, Romo threw for franchise records of 34,183 yards and 248 touchdowns. He also set NFL records for the most consecutive road games with a touchdown pass (41) and most games in a single season with a passer rating of at least 135.0 (6).
- Tony Adame
