It was like a password into a secret clubhouse. Once upon a time it was a great thrill to discover someone else who understood Tony Romo to be among the NFL’s better quarterbacks. When you met another believer it was a breath of fresh air because so many people said silly things about him given that Romo was the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
We have all developed callouses to those types of things considering The Drought™ is now over 30 years old. That was a special time as noted though, and
it seems that if any of us had run into Osi Umenyiora he would have agreed with us.
Recently I sat down with Umenyiora to discuss the NFL’s expansion into more international markets. The Cowboys are “hosting” the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 in Brazil as a result of this expansion.
Near the end of our chat I couldn’t help myself. I had to ask for Umenyiora’s thoughts on Romo given how many times they squared off against one another. His answer, in his own words, will surprise you.
“This is gonna come as a surprise to you and as a surprise to many people… Tony Romo was the most difficult quarterback we ever faced. He was number one. I rate, I rate Romo as the best quarterback we ever played against, and we played against some incredible ones.”
“We played against the GOAT, Tom Brady, the greatest of all time, played against Tom, Peyton Manning. But for me personally, my level of respect for Tony Romo having faced him year in and year out… such an underrated football player.”
“People don’t understand the type of headache he was as a player. And they they don’t give him enough credit man. If he would’ve won the Super Bowl, which he should have, I think things would’ve been different.”
“But without a shadow of a doubt the… one of the all-time great NFL quarterbacks man, and they need to put a lot more respect on that man’s name.”
The power of winning a Super Bowl goes a long way, and I think we all agree with Umenyiora that if Romo had been fortunate enough to do so that many would perceive him differently. It has somehow now been over a decade since Romo last played in the NFL, and it does seem like the passage of time has led to many acknowledging that he was indeed very good.
Still, this is some pretty high praise.
What do you think?
