Tony Romo hasn't missed the grind of Cowboys training camp for one sweat-soaked second. For 14 years, it had been part of his summer routine. Now it seems ancient history.
"Haven't had time," he said when the conversation turned to nostalgia in an interview last week.
No regrets, Romo said. He has discovered a new grind.
At age 37, he is a rookie again. But not like back when he was an undrafted first-year quarterback who showed up unheralded and remained largely unnoticed by fans at coach Bill Parcells' 2003 training camp. It was quite an achievement that the relatively anonymous quarterback, from the relatively anonymous Eastern Illinois University, earned the third-string quarterback job in relative stealth. Even if that translated to being summarily sentenced to be a game day observer who never played a single down, he had his foot in the door.
This time, at the start of a new career, the Cowboys' all-time leader in passing yards and passing touchdowns is carrying the burden that comes with being the pick of the litter. That translates into working under a high-powered spotlight.
In early April, Romo was hired by CBS to be an NFL game analyst. That officially ended a playing career that had exceeded all expectations but his own.
But CBS didn't hire Romo to be just another analyst on a game day roster that goes eight deep. An unproven rookie, he will be the network's lead analyst, replacing Phil Simms, who had been in the seat for 19 years.
Romo will work the network's prime games on Sundays. He'll work prime-time Thursday night games. He'll work the Cowboys' late afternoon game on Thanksgiving, which, if form holds, will be the most watched game of the season. Next season, he'll work the Super Bowl, which is a slam-dunk to be the most-watched TV show of that year.
