For most of his playing days, Tony Romo was one of the most polarizing figures in the National Football League. As an undrafted free agent, he beat the odds to become the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, but it felt like the fans never gave him his flowers.
Romo's lack of playoff success and inconsistency always held him back from becoming a household name. He could make a Hall of Fame-worthy throw in a play and throw a head-scratching interception on the very next drive, but the overall balance was positive.
That's why former New York Giants star DE Osi Umenyiora wanted to give him his flowers. Talking to R.J. Ochoa for the "Blogging the Boys" podcast, the former Giants defender set the record straight on his divisional rival.
Former Giants All-Pro Osi Umenyiora tips his hat to Tony Romo
"This is gonna come as a surprise to you, and a surprise to many people: Tony Romo was the most difficult quarterback we (the Giants) ever faced," Umeniyora said. "And we played against some incredible ones. We played against the GOAT, Tom Brady, the greatest of all-time. Played against 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 ... Without a shadow of a doubt, one of the all-time great NFL quarterbacks."
That should mean a lot, coming from a divisional rival, especially for a guy who coexisted with the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and Drew Brees while they were all in their primes.
The Cowboys ultimately stumbled upon his reinforcement. An unfortunate back injury pretty much forced him out of the league, as they seemingly struck gold with an unknown fourth-round draft pick called Dak Prescott.
Ironically, Prescott is like Romo in many ways. He's also someone who wasn't supposed to be there and earned the job from a tough-love coach in Bill Parcells. Romo has done more than enough to keep his Cowboys legacy shining, yet he doesn't seem to get half of the credit when things go well and all the blame when they struggle.
Of course, it's hard to defend Romo's postseason shortcomings, but he was the ultimate overachiever. Going from an undrafted free agent to a multi-time Pro Bowler and MVP finalist while starting for one of the most popular and storied franchises in professional football is no minor milestone.
As much hate as he got, Romo actually holds bragging rights over the Giants. He retired with an 11-10 record (including playoffs) against them, throwing for 4,840 yards, 42 touchdowns, and 22 picks with a 98.6 passer rating in 21 career games against the G-Men.
His career ended as abruptly as it began, and he left a complex legacy behind him. Still, there will always be some Cowboys fans who remember him fondly for beating the odds and making this team believe, for at least a while.
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