David Flores: Romo's grit reflects his upbringing
San Antonio Express-News
Never say never because, as my dear mama said so often, nunca sabes. You never know.
Take Steve Gerber and Steve Berezowitz, who coached Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in high school in Burlington, Wis., for instance.
Gerber and Berezowitz grew up in Wisconsin rooting for the Green Bay Packers and never, in their worst nightmares, dreamed they would root for — of all teams — the Cowboys.
"If you're a Packers fan," Berezowitz said Thursday by phone from Burlington, "you just don't pull for the Cowboys."
But their feelings for the Cowboys started to soften in 2003 when Romo, a football, basketball and golf standout at Burlington High who graduated in 1998, made the Dallas roster as a free agent.
"We were just excited that the Cowboys took a chance on him," said Gerber, who was promoted to head football coach at Burlington before Romo's junior year in 1996.
But when Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe as the Cowboys' starter before the seventh game this season, well, changing their allegiance to Dallas became a no-brainer for Gerber and Berezowitz.
"We're like a lot of people in Burlington," Gerber said. "We've always loved the Packers, but this is a whole different thing. Tony is one of our own, and we're proud of him."
Gerber and Berezowitz, who both keep in touch with Romo, remember him as a talented, smart athlete with a passion for competition. The greater the challenge, they said, the better Romo could be expected to play.
Romo passed for 42 touchdowns in two seasons on the Burlington varsity team and was the Demons' starting point guard for three years, averaging 24 points as a senior.
"He was always phenomenal in big games," said Berezowitz, who has been the boys basketball coach at Burlington since 1995, when Romo was a sophomore.
And yes, even then he exuded the confidence that has been such of topic of conversation among NFL pundits. Some even have called him cocky.
"You have to be confident to play pro ball, but I never would call Tony cocky," Gerber said. "Really, he's an incredibly humble guy who comes from a blue-collar family."
Said Berezowitz: "I think people are confusing the difference between being confident and being cocky."
Whatever the case, Romo is making a lot of people proud, including Hispanics who see him as one of their own. And for the record: Romo's father, Ramiro, is Hispanic, and his mother, Joan, is Anglo.
Gerber and Berezowitz attribute much of Tony's success to his upbringing.
"Ramiro and Joan are just good people and Tony is such an extension of them and their values," Gerber said.
The Cowboys have gone 5-1 and shot to the top of the NFC East since Bill Parcells gave Romo the keys to his offense.
Gerber and Berezowitz have made watching Cowboys games on TV a big part of their Sundays.
"It's been pretty nuts the past month," said Gerber, 52, who resigned as Burlington football coach after the 2001 season but still teaches at the school.
Romo returns to Burlington, where his parents still live, in the offseason and plays pickup basketball with Berezowitz and other friends.
"Tony was one of those kids we had to run out of the gym because he loved playing basketball so much," said Berezowitz, 35. "But even if we ran him out, he would go somewhere and play. He couldn't get enough of it."
Berezowitz and Romo are so close they have attended the NCAA men's Final Four together the past few seasons. Romo also has a close relationship with Gerber, working a kids football camp with him and Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in Burlington this summer.
"Tony's living the dream that a lot of us have had, but he's never forgotten who he is and where he came from," Berezowitz said. "How can you not want this kid to play well?"
Maybe fans everywhere pull for Romo because he's a breath of fresh air in a league that needs it badly.
Never say never because, as my dear mama said so often, nunca sabes. You never know.
Take Steve Gerber and Steve Berezowitz, who coached Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in high school in Burlington, Wis., for instance.
Gerber and Berezowitz grew up in Wisconsin rooting for the Green Bay Packers and never, in their worst nightmares, dreamed they would root for — of all teams — the Cowboys.
"If you're a Packers fan," Berezowitz said Thursday by phone from Burlington, "you just don't pull for the Cowboys."
But their feelings for the Cowboys started to soften in 2003 when Romo, a football, basketball and golf standout at Burlington High who graduated in 1998, made the Dallas roster as a free agent.
"We were just excited that the Cowboys took a chance on him," said Gerber, who was promoted to head football coach at Burlington before Romo's junior year in 1996.
But when Romo replaced Drew Bledsoe as the Cowboys' starter before the seventh game this season, well, changing their allegiance to Dallas became a no-brainer for Gerber and Berezowitz.
"We're like a lot of people in Burlington," Gerber said. "We've always loved the Packers, but this is a whole different thing. Tony is one of our own, and we're proud of him."
Gerber and Berezowitz, who both keep in touch with Romo, remember him as a talented, smart athlete with a passion for competition. The greater the challenge, they said, the better Romo could be expected to play.
Romo passed for 42 touchdowns in two seasons on the Burlington varsity team and was the Demons' starting point guard for three years, averaging 24 points as a senior.
"He was always phenomenal in big games," said Berezowitz, who has been the boys basketball coach at Burlington since 1995, when Romo was a sophomore.
And yes, even then he exuded the confidence that has been such of topic of conversation among NFL pundits. Some even have called him cocky.
"You have to be confident to play pro ball, but I never would call Tony cocky," Gerber said. "Really, he's an incredibly humble guy who comes from a blue-collar family."
Said Berezowitz: "I think people are confusing the difference between being confident and being cocky."
Whatever the case, Romo is making a lot of people proud, including Hispanics who see him as one of their own. And for the record: Romo's father, Ramiro, is Hispanic, and his mother, Joan, is Anglo.
Gerber and Berezowitz attribute much of Tony's success to his upbringing.
"Ramiro and Joan are just good people and Tony is such an extension of them and their values," Gerber said.
The Cowboys have gone 5-1 and shot to the top of the NFC East since Bill Parcells gave Romo the keys to his offense.
Gerber and Berezowitz have made watching Cowboys games on TV a big part of their Sundays.
"It's been pretty nuts the past month," said Gerber, 52, who resigned as Burlington football coach after the 2001 season but still teaches at the school.
Romo returns to Burlington, where his parents still live, in the offseason and plays pickup basketball with Berezowitz and other friends.
"Tony was one of those kids we had to run out of the gym because he loved playing basketball so much," said Berezowitz, 35. "But even if we ran him out, he would go somewhere and play. He couldn't get enough of it."
Berezowitz and Romo are so close they have attended the NCAA men's Final Four together the past few seasons. Romo also has a close relationship with Gerber, working a kids football camp with him and Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in Burlington this summer.
"Tony's living the dream that a lot of us have had, but he's never forgotten who he is and where he came from," Berezowitz said. "How can you not want this kid to play well?"
Maybe fans everywhere pull for Romo because he's a breath of fresh air in a league that needs it badly.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:10 PM
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