10 things to know about Tony Romo, from his golf prowess to his high school basketball picture

Chiefs are not interested in pursuing QB Tony Romo | First Take

After his decade as their starting quarterback, the Cowboys are releasing quarterback Tony Romo. Here are 10 fun things to know about the longtime Cowboys playmaker:

1) His love of golf started at age 8

We all know about Tony Romo"s love for and prowess at golf. According to his official website, he received his first set of golf clubs for Christmas at age 8. As the story goes, Romo proceeded to tee up a golf ball in the empty lot next to his parents" home. Mrs. Romo informed her husband that Tony was outside getting ready to hit a golf ball directed at the neighbor"s home. His father replied, "it"s okay he"ll miss it." The youngster hit a 70-yard shot that landed square in the neighbors" front living room.

2) As a junior, he was his high school"s third-string QB

At the beginning of his junior year (1996) at Burlington High School, Tony Romo was the varsity"s third-string quarterback. When Burlington"s first- and second-string QBs passed for a combined 12 yards in a season-opening loss, Burlington coach Steve Gerber put in Romo the following week against Elkhorn. Romo, without having ever played a game of organized football in his life, passed for 308 yards. (SOURCE: Tony Romo: The Natural, D Magazine, September, 2012.)

3) He could hoop back in the day

Romo, pictured here (left) as a member of the 1998 Racine County (Wisc.) All-County boys" basketball team, also played varsity basketball, golf and tennis at Burlington High School. You may recognize former Maverick Caron Butler (standing, third from left). Romo was the first BHS athlete to receive all-state recognition in three sports. (SOURCE: Burlington High School Wall of Fame)

4) He was dominant as a Division I-AA football player

At Eastern Illinois, Romo won the Walter Payton Award in 2002, given annually to the top Division I-AA football player. He led the Panthers to an Ohio Valley Conference championship in 2001. This season, another QB from Eastern Illinois, Jimmy Garoppolo won the Payton Award.

5) He"s outperformed almost every QB from his draft class

In the 2003 draft, 32 teams made 262 selections. Thirteen quarterbacks were selected. Only one of them -- Carson Palmer, selected No. 1 overall by the Bengals -- ever made a Pro Bowl. Romo, who was undrafted, has made three. The other quarterbacks selected in the first round that year were Byron Leftwich (seventh), Kyle Boller (19th) and Rex Grossman (22nd). Chris Simms, Senaca Wallace, Brian St. Pierre, Brooks Bollinger, Drew Henson and Kliff Kingsbury were taken in later rounds.

6) The Saints wanted him

Romo attended the 2003 NFL combinebut went undrafted. Sean Payton, then an assistant with the Cowboys who also attended Eastern Illinois, assured Romo that Dallas was interested. He was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Cowboys. In 2006, when Payton -- by then head coach of the Saints --offered a third-round draft pick for Romo, the Cowboys refused.

7) Why he was attracted to his wife, Candice

"Part of what attracted me to Candice was because she"s similar to me," he said. "Inherently, we"re homebodies who like family. We go on vacation, we take her parents, we take mine. And that"s fun. Enjoyable. No one loves her family, her husband, her kids more. At the same time, no one works harder."

To read more on his kids and his faith, click here.

Candice also recently discussed tony"s fashion sense (or lack thereof).

"You know I"ve learned with Tony I can bring him the trough, he just has to choose to drink it," she told the Ben & Skin show on 105.3 The Fan. "I can only do so much. I can buy whatever clothes that look good on him, but he is his own fashion stylist. I just go with it. There"s only so many things I can do. Now with kids, I think a lot of other wives can relate, things start looking less important on the docket. His fashion taste is one of them. I feel like he"s gotten better over the years. I feel like every year we get a little bit closer."

8) He and Tom Brady have something in common

Romo, like another quarterback whom we now realize was underappreciated at draft time -- New England"s Tom Brady -- got his career break in the same way Brady did: by replacing Drew Bledsoe. Brady replaced an injured Bledsoe in 2001 and the Patriots won a Super Bowl. Romo took over for Bledsoe several games into the 2006 season.

9) He has some unflattering history

In 2007, Romo became only the second player in the history of Monday Night Football to throw five interceptions in a winning game as the Cowboys rallied to defeat Buffalo. The first person was Romo"s QB coach, Wade Wilson.

10) He"s already a Hall of Famer

On Oct. 17, 2009, Romo was inducted into Eastern Illinois" Hall of Fame and became the first player to have his number (17) retired by the school. He was also given the key to the city from Charleston Mayor John Inyart (right).

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