Tony Romo recently married, became a father and hit his early thirties. Meanwhile, he remains one of the most polarizing figures in the NFL. He’s a great guy by all accounts; there is no debate about that. But there’s an ongoing dispute among NFL fans as to his value as a quarterback.
This is surprising, given that his stats clearly show him as one of the most effective NFL quarterbacks of all time. Romo has the second-highest passer rating of his career and fourth-highest yards per attempt rating of all time. He has been to three Pro Bowls and holds multiple Dallas Cowboys records, too many to include here.
Given the wide disparity between his actual record of accomplishments and the criticism he receives, it would be understandable if Romo would tire of his life as a high-profile quarterback.
The assistance of a good sports psychologist could help considerably.
But, while it’s true that Romo has made some very high-profile, costly interceptions and fumbles at key moments, I’m not suggesting a sports psychologist because I think he has a “choking” problem at the critical moment.
The truth is, Romo has been consistently excellent at his position and has great fourth-quarter stats that dispel the popular theory that he struggles under pressure.
No, the sports psychologist’s most important task with Romo would simply be to give him a sounding board and an ally, someone he doesn’t have to be politically correct with. Someone he can vent to about the craziness of being a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.
Now that Romo is a husband and father, his perspective on the world has changed forever. No man goes through these transitions without altering his world view and his priorities.
These changes can result in a better game, or they can take away your competitive edge. Here are two scenarios:
1) Romo realizes that his family is always there for him, that their love is far more important than the fickle adoration of NFL fans. This idea helps you stay cool and cool under fire and get your team to the Super Bowl without going overboard about it. His self-confidence is at an all-time high as he realizes he has nothing more to prove, prompting him to take the final steps towards mastery of his position, resulting in two Super Bowl wins. before retiring.
2) Romo realizes that his family is so much more important to him than anything else, that his drive for a Super Bowl ring is diminishing. He gets tired of the media and begins to long for the day when he will retire with a lot of money, a big family and a very strong game of golf. As a result, he plays another couple of years, abruptly retires, and happily walks away from the madness of the NFL.
Which scenario is more likely? Any self-respecting sports psychologist will tell you that Romo has always been a fierce competitor and will continue to be driven to win at least one Super Bowl before retiring. So scenario one is the more likely of the two, although luck plays a far bigger role in Super Bowl races than most fans would like to admit.
