High School and College Football Career

Romo was a standout athlete in high school and continued to shine in college at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) in Charleston, Illinois. He played for the school's football team in the NCAA Division I-AA, where his on-field performance quickly captured attention. Romo completed 59% of his pass attempts for 2,583 yards and 27 touchdowns in one season and earned multiple accolades during his time at EIU.

As a junior, Romo led Division I-AA in passing efficiency (PE) and was honored as the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Player of the Year. On October 14, 2002, he ran for an 8-yard touchdown on the final play of the game, giving EIU a dramatic 25–24 win over Eastern Kentucky University; the performance earned him the title of OVC Player of the Week.

In 2002, Romo made history as the first player from both EIU and the OVC to win the prestigious Walter Payton Award, recognizing the most outstanding offensive player in Division I-AA. He finished his college career with a record 85 touchdown passes, ranking third in conference history with 8,212 passing yards and second in school history with 941 pass attempts and 584 completions.

Undrafted to NFL Stardom

Despite his college success, Romo went undrafted in the 2003 NFL Draft. However, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Though other teams, including interest from then-Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan, pursued him, the Cowboys secured his talents.

In 2004, the Cowboys signed veteran quarterback Vinny Testaverde following the release of Quincy Carter. Romo eventually earned the backup quarterback role in 2005. His breakout moment came on October 23, 2006, when he replaced starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe at halftime against the New York Giants. Shortly thereafter, Romo was named the team’s starting quarterback.