Tony Romo is an American sportscaster and former NFL quarterback who played 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He is the lead analyst next to Jim Nantz in the CBS booth.
Romo’s 97.1 passer rating is the highest among retired players who never appeared in the Super Bowl.
Besides that, he was named to the Pro Bowl four times and finally retired in 2016 due to a back injury.
According to a report on 12 February 2023, a source reported that CBS had to have an intervention with Tony Romo because of his performance in the broadcasting booth.
CBS Sports Chairman, Sean McManus, expressed the wave of criticism the former QB had to face over a report. He denied the report of ‘intervention.’
If you’re still having trouble recollecting his face, he is the ex-boyfriend of singer and actress Jessica Simpson. The player got a lot of bad press when he broke up with Simpson the night before her birthday.
The jersey number 9 landed his sports analyst job quickly after announcing his NFL retirement.
The former quarterback also received much attention when he signed a $100 million contract to stay on the CBS network.
Per the deal, Romo will earn $17 million annually, making him the highest-paid sportscaster.
Here are some quick facts about the player before getting into details about his life.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Antonio Ramiro Romo |
| Birth Date | April 21, 1980 |
| Birth Place | San Diego, California |
| Nick Name | Romo-Stradamus |
| Religion | Cian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Education | Eastern Illinois University |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Father’s Name | Ramiro Romo Jr. |
| Mother’s Name | Joan Jakubowski Romo |
| Siblings | Two; Jossalyn And Danielle Romo |
| Age | 44 Years Old |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in / 1.88 m/ 188 cm |
| Weight | 230 lb / 104 kg |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Former NFL Player, Sportscaster |
| Team | Dallas Cowboys |
| Position | Quarterback |
| Active Years | 2003-2016 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Candace Crawford |
| Kids | Three |
| Net Worth | $70 Million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | T-Shirt, Signed Helmet, Posters, Signed Jersey |
| Last Update | October 2024 |
Early Life, Family, & Education
Tony Romo was born in San Diego, California to Ramiro Romo Jr. and Joan Jakubowski. Ramiro was in the navy stationed at San Diego, U.S. Naval Base, when Antonio was born on April 21, 1980.
After his service, the family shifted back to Burlington, Wisconsin.
Tony’s father got a carpenter and construction job, whereas his mother became a clerk at a grocery store. Besides his parents, the quarterback has two sisters, Jossalyn Romo, and Danielle Romo.
The former Cowboy finished schooling at Burlington High School, where he also played as a quarterback for the Burlington Demons.
During his last year at the school, he was honored with Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State first-team honors and named on the All-Racine County football team. Besides that, he also played golf and tennis.
He went on to attend Eastern Illinois University for his college education.
Age, And Body Measurement
The NFL player is 44 years old as of 2024.
The sportscaster celebrates his birthday on April 21 every year. The football player weighs 230 lb and is 1.88 meters tall.
Football & Analyst Career
College Career
The NFL player attended Eastern Illinois University, where he played for the Illinois Panthers. Moreover, he was also a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity.
He had a successful college career and was ranked second in Division I-AA in passing efficiency in his sophomore year.
In his junior year, he led Division I-AA in passing efficiency. On top of that, he became the first Illinois Panther to win the Walter Payton Award and also received consensus All-America honors.
Overall he became the first player to earn OVC Player of the Year for three years consecutively.
The EIU retired his jersey number 17 in the 2009 homecoming and his induction into the EIU’s Hall Of Fame.
NFL Career
Early Seasons
Despite being a good player, he went undrafted in the 2003 NFL draft. However, later on, he was offered to play as an undrafted free agent for Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys.
Even though the Cowboys paid him less than the Broncos, he still went for them.
During the early seasons, he was only a holder. One of his exceptional moments during the 2004 season was when he made the winning touchdown with only six seconds left against the Oakland Raiders.
In the 2006 season, he was backup for Drew Bledsoe and led the Cowboys to a win against Carolina Panthers in his first game as a starter.
Also, he helped them win the game against the Indianapolis Colts. Moreover, he assisted the Cowboys in winning a Thanksgiving Day game and received FOX’s Galloping Gobbler Award.
The 2007 season was good for Romo and the Cowboys as they won over New York Giants in their first game. After that, they beat the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, and St. Louis Rams.
The quarterback had 1,199 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, and two rushing touchdowns during the season. He signed a $67.5 million, six-year extension deal with the Cowboys in October 2008.
Later Seasons
The quarterback recorded a career-high 406 yards and three touchdowns in 2010, but injuries held him back. He broke his left clavicle and was on leave for the rest of the season.
Even in the 2011 season against a game with the San Francisco 49ers, he suffered a broken rib and punctured lung.
However, he came back and scored a game-tying touchdown forcing overtime with just four seconds left.
He and a fellow teammate aimed for a game-winning touchdown and eventually won the game for which Romo received the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Week Award.
Shortly after, he severely bruised his hand but started the game a week later. In the entirety of the 2011 season, he made 32 of the 39 touchdowns, which was the highest team touchdown in the regular season.
In 2013, the Cowboys signed a $108 million football contract with the athlete for a six-year.
He led his team to a win against the Giants after having surgery to remove a cyst. Moreover, he helped win against Washington Redskins by scoring a touchdown, which kept the Cowboys’ playoff hopes alive.
However, he suffered a herniated disk injury and was on the injured reserve list.
During the 2014 season, Tony and the Cowboys won six back-to-back games. Once again, he had a back injury when an opposing teammate hit him in the back with his knee.
The sportscaster played well at the beginning of the 2015 season; another injury followed him to the collarbone that cost him eight weeks off the field.
But he did manage to throw three interceptions in the first half.
During his absence, the Cowboys failed to win a single game. He injured his left shoulder again when he returned and was on injured leave.
Retirement
Due to his injury in the 2016 season, he could not start the game and missed a chunk of the season. He played his first game against the Philadelphia Eagles, ironically, the last game of his NFL career.
The quarterback announced his retirement on April 4, 2017, due to the injuries that limited him. Tony has a stellar Playoff Record as well.
Sportscaster Career
After retirement, Romo became a lead color analyst for the CBS network. The offer gathered many controversies as no ex-player or coach was ever given a lead position.
His job offer overlooked other broadcasting veterans who would be perfect for the job.
However, he did live up to people’s expectations and proved his worth to the network and the fans. His game predictions are most popular and admired by everyone.
On top of that, the New Yorker also termed him a “genius of football commentary.” Also, he renewed his contract with the network, which would quadruple his annual salary.
He was featured in the Super Bowl golf advertisement with golf pros Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth’s cameos released on February 12, 2023.
Romo also made his regular appearance for Michelob Ultra with golf pro-Rickie Fowler and NFL TikTok star Annie Agar.
The 30-second advertisement included a promotion for Netflix’s upcoming golf series and a QR code that would lead fans to the first episode after the game.
Recent Intervention
As mentioned before, on 12 February 2023, a source reported that CBS had to have an intervention with Tony Romo because of his performance in the broadcasting booth.
The CBS Chairman, McManus, expressed the wave of criticism the former QB had to face over a report. He denied the report of ‘intervention.’
In an appearance on SiriusXM’s “Mad Dog Unleashed,” McManus commented on a New York Post story that reported that McManus and a lead NFL game producer went to Romo’s home to address the situation.
Jen Sabatelle, CBS Sports spokeswoman, supported Sean by saying that labeling meetings as an intervention were a “complete mischaracterization.” Further, she stated CBS Sports officials “meet regularly with our on-air talent.”
Dating, Marriage, & Kids
Romo was dating famous singer and actress Jessica Simpson in 2007. He reportedly kissed her on their first date and was sure he wanted to be with her.
They had a pretty good run for three years until, in 2009, he was bothered by the fact that John Mayer was interested in her.
Despite denying there was anything between them, Romo broke up with Simpson via an email the night before her 29th birthday, as she revealed in her biography.
Jessica later stated that Antonio eventually believed her, but it was too late.
The Cowboy then went on to date and married Miss Missouri USA 2008 and former journalist Candice Crawford.
She is also the sister of actor Chace Crawford. The duo engaged on December 16, 2010, and married on May 28, 2011.
The beautiful pair have three kids together, namely their firstborn, Hawkins Crawford Romo, on April 9, 2012; Rivers Romo was born on March 18, 2014; and their lastborn, Jones McCoy Romo, who was born on August 23, 2017.
Net Worth, Salary, & Charity
The former NFL player has a net worth of $70 million as of 2024. As of 2024, he earns a salary of $17 million per year from the CBS network. Previously he earned $4 million per year as an analyst.
On top of that, ESPN wanted to deal with Romo before he signed but unfortunately couldn’t match the offer.
Moreover, the analyst made over $130 million in his entire career in the NFL; as an undrafted free agent, he earned $40 million more than any undrafted agent had ever earned.
To top it off, in 2015, he made around $5 million in endorsements alone. In 2008, he signed a $10 million, five-year deal with Starter company.
Tony signed an $18 million contract to stay at CBS in February 2020, rejecting the rumors of moving to ESPN. The deal came with a salary of $17 million annually, making him one of the highest-paid sportscasters in history.
Talking about his possession, in 2008, Tony bought a rather simple home in Valley Ranch, Irving, Texas. He paid almost $7 million for the house, painted in all black and white colors.
As the lackluster features like black tile floors and questionable decor choices, it was widely assumed that his purchase displayed a long-term investment rather than an actual living space for the NFL star.
Charity
Tony hosts an annual youth football camp in Wisconsin.
He is also involved with United Way, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He participates in their programs to uplift the communities.
Social Media Presence
Tony Romo, the father of three, is on Instagram, with over 712k followers. Nonetheless, he does not seem quite active on social media, as he follows only four people, including his family.
View this post on Instagram
The 44-year-old shares many beautiful pictures of his adorable kids and wife, his job, his NFL days, and a few with singer Teyana Taylor.
The quarterback has been on Twitter with over 587.6k followers since he joined in 2008.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Is Tony Romo Mexican?
Yes, Tony is Mexican by heritage, even though he was born and raised in America. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Mexico and settled in San Antonio, Texas.
Was Carrie Underwood with Tony Romo?
Yes, deemed the perfect couple then, country star Carrie Underwood and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony dated briefly in 2007.
Was Tony Romo on the Korn Ferry Tour?
Yes, the former Cowboys quarterback and current NFL analyst Tony took part in his first Korn Ferry Tour event, a golf tournament, in April 2021.
