Romo speaks with the voice of a veteran

His experience shows in comments about hard work, fleeting chance for success

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

When Tony Romo talks about life lessons, he almost always focuses on the importance of hard work – and how much it can pay off.

But when Romo talked to assembled media at a press conference Monday morning before the start of his annual youth football camp at Burlington High School, life lessons also seemed to draw his attention.

Content to be a teacher that day, Romo also saw himself learning from the past, and realizing that perhaps his own years have flown by a little too quickly.

“To me, it goes by fast,” Romo said. “That’s something you want to tell the kids.

“Some, you’re complaining, you’ve got to do this, you’ve got to do that,” Romo explained. “Well, you’re going to have a short period of time in your life to play football, to do certain things. During that time, you can either embrace it and enjoy it … or you can be (complaining).

“It’ll be more about your journey, than the end of it.”

Whether it was the joys of fatherhood, or some unexpected downtime after having minor surgery to remove a cyst on his back in April, Romo seemed more than content to enjoy every moment Monday at his ninth annual camp at BHS.

He took time to sign autographs for both youngsters and adults, and lingered over questions in the press conference like a veteran mulling his stories of the past.

It might be a fitting time for Romo to do so. After a disappointing 2012 season, the Dallas Cowboys – and their quarterback – have high hopes for the 2013 season.

“This is going to be one of the more complete teams we’ve had,” said Romo when asked about the Wisconsin connection to the team, which includes not only himself, but University of Wisconsin standouts Travis Frederick and Devin Smith.

This week’s camp was maybe Romo’s last chance to truly relax before training camp and the start of the season. He played catch with a number of old teammates on the sidelines while waiting for the youth camp to gear up in the afternoon, but had spent the morning imparting his knowledge to teenagers who are already facing the high school game.

“I think I can understand how a college coach, a successful one, can stick around,” Romo said. “You’re always teaching new kids. You’re getting the ability to interact and teach kids what you know. That aspect of it keeps it pretty enjoyable.”

But at the same time, Romo acknowledged he is still learning.

“I’m always learning football in general,” Romo said. “No matter what level I’ve been at … you’re constantly trying to improve, not just yourself, but other position groups. Each year that goes by, I get a little bit better understanding of that.”

And he is fully aware of the possibility of the impact that he makes in the lives of the youngsters he coached at the camp.

“A lot of it is just the message that you can bring to them,” he said.

There seemed to be a wistful sense of time passing, though, for Romo, not just in the camp, but in his career as an NFL starter. The Romo Camp hit year nine this week – and Romo’s career as an NFL starter is just a few years shorter.

The change that has happened since then with the Cowboys is obvious to him.

“Things change quickly,” he said. “If you don’t get the job done … everything changes.”

After playing under three coaches, Romo guesses there are only about three to five people still on the roster from when he started.

“When you understand that, you realize how important each and every season is,” he said. “You still attack it the same way. You still work your butt off. You try to bring a lot of guys along with you.

“We have a team that’s capable of doing some things,” he added. “You’ve got to outwork them, you’ve got to outthink them.

“I enjoy and really crave competition. I love a challenge. And bringing a team to the Super Bowl – that’s the ultimate challenge.”