I've been a Cowboys fan since birth. I was literally brought into this world while Dallas was playing. My father said he looked up at Michael Irvin catching a touchdown pass then back down to me, his fresh newborn and knew I was destined for greatness.
I've been through all the ups and downs, the horrible Quincy Carter years and the years we just kept coming up short despite all the talent we had.
Tony Romo was a lot of things. I have a lot of memories growing up watching him. From the iconic Terrell Owens "that's my quarterback" press conference, to the crazy Jessica Simpson "curse". It's been a hell of a ride.
There have been times I thought Tony Romo was himself cursed. No matter how much talent this franchise had, it seemed we were destined to failure. I got a lot of my first heartbreaks from watching the Cowboys. The 2006 Tony Romo fumbled snap in the playoff game against the Seahawks tore my heart in two. I was mocked for being a Cowboys' fan for weeks at school. But I never stopped loving the Cowboys, how could I? There is something special about this team and this franchise. And there's something special about Tony Romo.
January 4th, 2015, the Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions wildcard round Playoffs was one of the best days in my entire existence. I was there in the flesh at AT&T Stadium and I'm not going to lie, by halftime Detriot had the momentum and I was mentally preparing myself for a game that could potentially not turn out the way I wanted. When our beloved Dan Bailey missed an easy field goal, that "we really might lose this game" mentality really set in. Tony Romo led Dallas back from a 17-7 trail at the half to a 24-20 lead with a little over two minutes in the game to go. But if you're a Cowboys fan, you know to still hold your breath with a lead close to the end. There were two fumbles and two possession changes in those last two minutes but Dallas came out on top. I don't think I've ever felt a high quite like I did that night leaving AT&T Stadium chanting "WE WANT GREEN BAY!!!" with hundreds of my closest Cowboy fans.
Those types of moments are the ones I remember most with Tony Romo. The resilient quarterback who had a genuine love for his team. Say what you want about Romo, but the guy had heart and he gave everything he had each time he walked on that field. There were bad times just like there were good times, but Romo will always be one of my favorite Cowboys. No matter where Tony Romo ends up, I'll always support him and he will always be a Cowboy to me. I wish him nothing but luck and want to see him succeed even if it isn't in silver and blue.
Thank you, Number 9, for everything you've done for #CowboysNation.
