Romo was built to lead
By Tom Curran
NBCSports.com
Posted: Dec.1, 2006, 10:21 am EST
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on October 26, three days after a 36-22 loss to the Giants left Dallas at 3-3: "I'm disappointed at the reason we're having to make this change (at quarterback). I have to be a realist. I hadn't thought or hoped we'd be sitting here after the sixth game making these adjustments. I did not want to go to an inexperienced quarterback (this year). I wanted to have the benefit of Drew Bledsoe. It hasn't worked out as of today. It just hasn't worked out. That to me is a step back."
And Jones 28 days later with his team at 7-4 after a 38-10 Thanksgiving Day win over Tampa Bay: "This is the best we've played this year. Frankly, these back-to-back wins are the best we've looked in 10 years. We're a team that's got time to take advantage of getting a lot better. What we're doing … can pay off over the next four or five weeks."
At the end of October, Jones didn't know what he didn't know. That didn't put him in the minority. Many were skeptical that an unproven Tony Romo would make a marked difference for the Cowboys at quarterback. But some had faith ...
Like Bill Parcells. He made it clear that Romo showed enough to warrant the change. And while his vote of confidence wasn't quite as bold as Bill Belichick's was when he named Tom Brady the Patriots starter in place of Bledsoe in 2001 ("I don't think I'm going to be standing here every week talking about all the things Tom Brady did wrong."), Parcells had a feeling.
So did others who've worked closely with Romo. I talked to three people who had up-close views of Romo's development. His high school coach, Steve Gerber from Burlington (Wisconsin) High School. His college coach, Bob Spoo from Eastern Illinois. And Vinny Testaverde, who was the Cowboys' starting quarterback in 2004, Romo's second year in the league. Of Testaverde, Parcells said, "The best thing that ever happened to Tony Romo was Testaverde coming here because Testaverde was a meticulous preparation guy, and Tony was able to witness that. Vinny showed him how a pro behaves."
After a month on the job, the most remarkable thing about Romo is his polish. After three NFL seasons apprenticing, Romo has taken the reins without so many of the accompanying flaws young quarterbacks have. He makes good decisions, gets rid of the ball quickly, is fundamentally sound and has terrific leadership skills.
Gerber, Spoo and Testaverde all had a hand in observing or developing Tony Romo on those fronts. So we asked for their evaluations of Romo in terms of his head (decision-making and intelligence), arm (strength, accuracy and release), heart (courage and leadership) and feet (mechanics and quickness).
HEAD
Steve Gerber, Burlington High School -- We were a passing team. We had those 6-3 and 6-4 receivers and what I'd always done with our quarterbacks was to let them call plays at the line of scrimmage. We had our core pass plays and two running plays. All our quarterbacks could handle that but what separated Tony was that he was able to read things very well. And after the snap, Tony would read things on the run, which is a unique ability in a kid. He could start out on the right, read that side of the field, scan to the left, then come back to the right. He had the ability to slow things down.
Bob Spoo, Eastern Illinois University -- Coming out of high school we knew he had leadership qualities. He was a very poised young man who was confident in his abilities but not cocky and I think that's why he's been so accepted where he's gone. He's unassuming that way. Everything he possesses today are things that he's honed. There were occasions when he'd try to make something out of nothing and get in trouble. An example of that with Dallas would be the game when he came in for Drew Bledsoe in the second half (against the Giants). He was throwing a screen pass and it wasn't there but he threw it anyway and it got picked off. It was not a typical thing but he was trying to make a play. Without a doubt, though, he learns his lessons. Since that game, there haven't been too many plays like that but there will be games when things don't go right. And what's good about Tony is that he doesn't get bogged down. He simply moves onto the next play.
Vinny Testaverde, Dallas quarterback, 2004 -- I would show him how I broke the film down, where my eyes went first, how I'd break things down in terms of formations, comparing what you're doing in terms of what other teams did. There were little things to, for example at practice; he'd ask me about gripping the football. He was always full of questions, eager to learn and eager to be successful. I used to tell him and Parcells would tell him the same thing, when something isn't there don't force it. You don't have to make a great play every play. Be consistent, make good plays and at the end of the day, you'll be great. But if you try and make a great throw on every play, usually bad things happen. It seems like he's listening to the advice Bill is giving him to not be a gunslinger but to be a quarterback.
ARM
Gerber -- His delivery has gotten shorter. I commented last week during the Thanksgiving game that he was now almost at a three-quarters delivery in terms of bringing the ball back and he wasn't always that way.
Spoo -- All aspects of his arm were good coming out of high school. He was able to put it anywhere on the field, throw with different trajectories and speed. He had those qualities here. The remarkable thing was he had to make the transition from high school to college and the speed of game but when he came in here there were not a lot of things we saw that made us feel he was developing. We actually wondered if we made right decision. But he knew he had to pick up the tempo and he worked hard to improve. He drilled here very hard on those things. Now, I love to see the way the ball comes out of his hand because you know it will come out on time. You talk about a rhythm; he's always seemed to be a player who can get in some kind of rhythm.
Testaverde -- One of the other things I talked about with Tony was that you can't wait until the guy's open and then throw it. You have to anticipate when he's coming open and that's why it's so important to develop that feel and get it out. He gets it out as quick as anybody. He's got a very quick release.
HEART
Spoo -- His heart and courage couldn't be any better. He has a spirit and competitiveness that is unceasing. He was a gym rat on the football field. After so many practices he'd get a receiver or two and make those throws over and over. He never shirked and he doesn't get flustered. He's laid back but plays with a sense of urgency. I think he knew it was a matter of time before he got his shot but he knew that, when he got his opportunity, he had to be ready.
Gerber -- His leadership took care of itself because of his performance. He just had a natural way of leading because of his performance. He threw 42 touchdown passes in his final two seasons here and the thing I see now is when he appears on interviews he is very in control. He's one of most humble people for someone who's accomplished a lot. He's taken so many opportunities to come back to the community and when he does, he's not looking at his watch wondering if it's time to go. That swagger and cockiness you see now, that's him because he knows he needs it to be him. Now the day's going to come where has to deal with adversity and I'm hoping his humility and attitude will keep him centered. But who knows. The quarterback position gets too much credit when things go well, too much blame when thing's go badly.
Testaverde -- He has the kind of attitude that will make a lot of guys like him. He comes across as pleasantly cocky but you want to have that confidence. The important thing is, he works and is involved so that he knows his players and they know him.
FEET
Spoo -- The one thing I remember is he threw with a stable lower platform and that's one thing that quarterback coaches seem to overlook because getting out from under center and executing a three-step drop, you need balance. He wasn't fast. I remember a game against Eastern Kentucky when he pulled the ball down and had a 70-yard touchdown run and one of our local writers said he had time to eat a sandwich while he was running but he worked hard to get quicker.
Gerber -- We never thought of Tony as being an elusive or mobile quarterback. He could get to the edge because of his intelligence and speed, but I think he worked his *** off and listened to people and worked to make that better. And God took care of that too as he matured and got stronger but he's always had good footwork. I see him now running those bootlegs and those are things we worked on when he was 16 or 17. We didn't necessarily teach him how to do that entirely, but he was schooled in it early on.
Testaverde -- He is able to get out and make people miss. David Lee (a Cowboys offensive assistant with extensive experience coaching quarterbacks) is one of the coaches in Dallas that worked with me as well and he spoke about everything that affects how you play the position mechanically -- how your feet are spaced, how your weight is balanced and how the ball will spin when it comes out of your hand. Things like that are indispensable and Tony soaked that up.
NBCSports.com
Posted: Dec.1, 2006, 10:21 am EST
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on October 26, three days after a 36-22 loss to the Giants left Dallas at 3-3: "I'm disappointed at the reason we're having to make this change (at quarterback). I have to be a realist. I hadn't thought or hoped we'd be sitting here after the sixth game making these adjustments. I did not want to go to an inexperienced quarterback (this year). I wanted to have the benefit of Drew Bledsoe. It hasn't worked out as of today. It just hasn't worked out. That to me is a step back."
And Jones 28 days later with his team at 7-4 after a 38-10 Thanksgiving Day win over Tampa Bay: "This is the best we've played this year. Frankly, these back-to-back wins are the best we've looked in 10 years. We're a team that's got time to take advantage of getting a lot better. What we're doing … can pay off over the next four or five weeks."
At the end of October, Jones didn't know what he didn't know. That didn't put him in the minority. Many were skeptical that an unproven Tony Romo would make a marked difference for the Cowboys at quarterback. But some had faith ...
Like Bill Parcells. He made it clear that Romo showed enough to warrant the change. And while his vote of confidence wasn't quite as bold as Bill Belichick's was when he named Tom Brady the Patriots starter in place of Bledsoe in 2001 ("I don't think I'm going to be standing here every week talking about all the things Tom Brady did wrong."), Parcells had a feeling.
So did others who've worked closely with Romo. I talked to three people who had up-close views of Romo's development. His high school coach, Steve Gerber from Burlington (Wisconsin) High School. His college coach, Bob Spoo from Eastern Illinois. And Vinny Testaverde, who was the Cowboys' starting quarterback in 2004, Romo's second year in the league. Of Testaverde, Parcells said, "The best thing that ever happened to Tony Romo was Testaverde coming here because Testaverde was a meticulous preparation guy, and Tony was able to witness that. Vinny showed him how a pro behaves."
After a month on the job, the most remarkable thing about Romo is his polish. After three NFL seasons apprenticing, Romo has taken the reins without so many of the accompanying flaws young quarterbacks have. He makes good decisions, gets rid of the ball quickly, is fundamentally sound and has terrific leadership skills.
Gerber, Spoo and Testaverde all had a hand in observing or developing Tony Romo on those fronts. So we asked for their evaluations of Romo in terms of his head (decision-making and intelligence), arm (strength, accuracy and release), heart (courage and leadership) and feet (mechanics and quickness).
HEAD
Steve Gerber, Burlington High School -- We were a passing team. We had those 6-3 and 6-4 receivers and what I'd always done with our quarterbacks was to let them call plays at the line of scrimmage. We had our core pass plays and two running plays. All our quarterbacks could handle that but what separated Tony was that he was able to read things very well. And after the snap, Tony would read things on the run, which is a unique ability in a kid. He could start out on the right, read that side of the field, scan to the left, then come back to the right. He had the ability to slow things down.
Bob Spoo, Eastern Illinois University -- Coming out of high school we knew he had leadership qualities. He was a very poised young man who was confident in his abilities but not cocky and I think that's why he's been so accepted where he's gone. He's unassuming that way. Everything he possesses today are things that he's honed. There were occasions when he'd try to make something out of nothing and get in trouble. An example of that with Dallas would be the game when he came in for Drew Bledsoe in the second half (against the Giants). He was throwing a screen pass and it wasn't there but he threw it anyway and it got picked off. It was not a typical thing but he was trying to make a play. Without a doubt, though, he learns his lessons. Since that game, there haven't been too many plays like that but there will be games when things don't go right. And what's good about Tony is that he doesn't get bogged down. He simply moves onto the next play.
Vinny Testaverde, Dallas quarterback, 2004 -- I would show him how I broke the film down, where my eyes went first, how I'd break things down in terms of formations, comparing what you're doing in terms of what other teams did. There were little things to, for example at practice; he'd ask me about gripping the football. He was always full of questions, eager to learn and eager to be successful. I used to tell him and Parcells would tell him the same thing, when something isn't there don't force it. You don't have to make a great play every play. Be consistent, make good plays and at the end of the day, you'll be great. But if you try and make a great throw on every play, usually bad things happen. It seems like he's listening to the advice Bill is giving him to not be a gunslinger but to be a quarterback.
ARM
Gerber -- His delivery has gotten shorter. I commented last week during the Thanksgiving game that he was now almost at a three-quarters delivery in terms of bringing the ball back and he wasn't always that way.
Spoo -- All aspects of his arm were good coming out of high school. He was able to put it anywhere on the field, throw with different trajectories and speed. He had those qualities here. The remarkable thing was he had to make the transition from high school to college and the speed of game but when he came in here there were not a lot of things we saw that made us feel he was developing. We actually wondered if we made right decision. But he knew he had to pick up the tempo and he worked hard to improve. He drilled here very hard on those things. Now, I love to see the way the ball comes out of his hand because you know it will come out on time. You talk about a rhythm; he's always seemed to be a player who can get in some kind of rhythm.
Testaverde -- One of the other things I talked about with Tony was that you can't wait until the guy's open and then throw it. You have to anticipate when he's coming open and that's why it's so important to develop that feel and get it out. He gets it out as quick as anybody. He's got a very quick release.
HEART
Spoo -- His heart and courage couldn't be any better. He has a spirit and competitiveness that is unceasing. He was a gym rat on the football field. After so many practices he'd get a receiver or two and make those throws over and over. He never shirked and he doesn't get flustered. He's laid back but plays with a sense of urgency. I think he knew it was a matter of time before he got his shot but he knew that, when he got his opportunity, he had to be ready.
Gerber -- His leadership took care of itself because of his performance. He just had a natural way of leading because of his performance. He threw 42 touchdown passes in his final two seasons here and the thing I see now is when he appears on interviews he is very in control. He's one of most humble people for someone who's accomplished a lot. He's taken so many opportunities to come back to the community and when he does, he's not looking at his watch wondering if it's time to go. That swagger and cockiness you see now, that's him because he knows he needs it to be him. Now the day's going to come where has to deal with adversity and I'm hoping his humility and attitude will keep him centered. But who knows. The quarterback position gets too much credit when things go well, too much blame when thing's go badly.
Testaverde -- He has the kind of attitude that will make a lot of guys like him. He comes across as pleasantly cocky but you want to have that confidence. The important thing is, he works and is involved so that he knows his players and they know him.
FEET
Spoo -- The one thing I remember is he threw with a stable lower platform and that's one thing that quarterback coaches seem to overlook because getting out from under center and executing a three-step drop, you need balance. He wasn't fast. I remember a game against Eastern Kentucky when he pulled the ball down and had a 70-yard touchdown run and one of our local writers said he had time to eat a sandwich while he was running but he worked hard to get quicker.
Gerber -- We never thought of Tony as being an elusive or mobile quarterback. He could get to the edge because of his intelligence and speed, but I think he worked his *** off and listened to people and worked to make that better. And God took care of that too as he matured and got stronger but he's always had good footwork. I see him now running those bootlegs and those are things we worked on when he was 16 or 17. We didn't necessarily teach him how to do that entirely, but he was schooled in it early on.
Testaverde -- He is able to get out and make people miss. David Lee (a Cowboys offensive assistant with extensive experience coaching quarterbacks) is one of the coaches in Dallas that worked with me as well and he spoke about everything that affects how you play the position mechanically -- how your feet are spaced, how your weight is balanced and how the ball will spin when it comes out of your hand. Things like that are indispensable and Tony soaked that up.
posted by The Gryphon at 6:34 PM
<< Home