By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
On the morning of June 25, reporters and fans alike gathered at Burlington High School to pick the brain or even catch a glimpse of the city’s favorite son.
Dallas Cowboys quaterback Tony Romo, a 1998 BHS graduate, returned to his hometown for the 10th annual Tony Romo Football Camp.
Romo addressed a room of roughly 20 fans and media before commencing the all-position camp for about 100 seventh-graders through seniors from 9:30 to 12:30 p.m.
Then, in the afternoon, Romo, along with various area football coaches, conducted a free session for about 250 third- through sixth-graders.
Romo and the Cowboys are coming off an 8-8 season in which he had to miss the final game with a herniated disc in his back. The injury required surgery, his second back operation in nine months.
Romo, 34, had a busy offseason on the personal side as well. Romo and wife Candace welcomed their second son, Rivers, in March.
Candace, Rivers, Tony and first son Hawkins were all on hand at the camp, and Hawkins sat on Tony’s lap and signed his own football while Tony signed autographs after a 15-minute press conference.
Youthful and optimistic as ever, Romo hinted at a different format for the annual football camp next year.
Also, he addressed his health, his future and the recent decision to name Burlington’s football field after Demons coaching legend Don Dalton.
The Standard Press was on hand to help conduct the following question and answer session:
SP: How does it feel to be back in Burlington?
TR: It feels great. Each year, we’re tweaking the camp a bit. This will probably be the last year we do this format. Next year, we’re going to do something different. We’re throwing around some new ideas. I don’t want to throw it out there yet. It’s been neat to come back and teach younger kids. I try and be judicious with what I tell the kids. It’s important to see kids that want to improve.
SP: How are you feeling health-wise coming off back surgery?
TR: All surgeries are part of playing football. This is one where you can come back and get better. I expect to be at training camp going full speed. I’m already almost there. I think we’re going to have a really good football team this year.
SP: Has the injury affected your golf game?
TR: (chuckles) I haven’t played much golf.
SP: Defensively, the team lost one of your best players, Sean Lee, to injury. How does that affect the team?
TR: Sean is a very instrumental part of our defense. Nobody works harder. At the same time, those things happen. I think the defense will be better this season. They have had a really good offseason. They’re taking the steps to be a good unit, and you see that when you watch them work out.
SP: What’s it like juggling two kids with being an NFL quarterback?
TR: Being a father is a great joy. You don’t really know until you become a parent. There’s a great joy knowing your kids are always going to be there. It’s not about winning and losing with them, it’s just about being there for them. It’s one of those things that’s special in life.
SP: At age 34, you recently said in an NFL Network interview your best years are ahead of you. What did you mean by that?
TR: I’ll be able to play for awhile. I didn’t play early in my career, and that helps on the back end. There are some guys who are pocket quarterbacks, and it’s more difficult for them to last. You find a guy who’s a little bit mobile who doesn’t take so many shots has a chance to play into his late 30s. The rules of the game now make it a little bit easier for quarterbacks to extend their careers. On top of that, I think we will be a pretty good football team.
SP: Do you think about avoiding hits when playing?
TR: You don’t worry about the hits. If a hit ends it, that’s part of the process. That’s why you work so hard in the offseason, to help avoid those things. For me, you play the game. One thing a lot of young quarterbacks do is they predetermine what they’re going to do before the snap. It hurts them. The older you get, you understand you can be judicious without being reactionary.
SP: The Burlington football field will be named after coaching legend Don Dalton. What do you remember about Dalton, and why is he deserving of this honor?
TR: It’s not easy to have that kind of success for that extended period of time. It’s about a career and being that good for that long. I probably wouldn’t be where I am without Coach Dalton. My freshman year, I went out for soccer. We were a couple weeks in, and we only had six players. Football training camp already started, but Dalton encouraged me to come out for football. He allowed me to go out for football. I don’t think I would’ve gone out for football if it not for Dalton seeking me out. His non-prideful personality allowed him to come help a kid out. That’s a testament to him. He’s a very unique person, and he deserves every honor he gets.
SP: What do you do when you get back to Burlington, and what do you do for fun in Texas?
TR: I get to hang out with some nieces and nephews, my parents, my sisters, and it’s a fun time. Getting back here for a week is the right amount of time to catch up with everyone. My kids get to run around here at the camp. Everyone’s got such a big yard in Wisconsin, which is different from Texas.
As for fun, once you get a couple kids, your fun meter goes down quite a bit. You’re just trying to keep them in bed at night and watch a T.V. show before you go to bed.
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