Texas House to honor former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo

Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will be honored on the floor of the Texas State House on Wednesday in Austin with a resolution authored by Rep. Richard Raymond (Laredo).

Romo, the Cowboys all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns, left the NFL after 14 seasons to become a CBS Sports’ lead NFL game analyst this season.

Asked why he wanted honor Romo, Raymond called himself a huge Cowboys fan and said it was his duty to send him off the right way.

“Are you kidding me? You talking about a lifelong Cowboys fan,” Raymond said. “Here is a guy who brought so much excitement to Cowboys nation honoring him. I’ve never met him but by all accounts he is a great guy.”

So Raymond reached out to Romo and he agreed to be part of a ceremony that will begin shortly after the session opens at 10 a.m.

“I will say a few things,” Raymond said. “Others might get up and say few things. It’s a recognition we do every session honoring Texans. I invited him. I thought he would enjoy it.”

The resolution states: “WHEREAS, Quarterback Tony Romo is retiring from the Dallas Cowboys in 2017, drawing to a close a memorable career in professional football that has spanned 14 years; WHEREAS, During his impressive tenure with the Cowboys, Mr. Romo led the team to the playoffs on four occasions and amassed an overall starting record of 78 wins and only 49 losses; the four-time Pro Bowl selection further distinguished himself by setting franchise records with 34,183 career passing yards and 248 career touchdowns, and his career passer rating of 97.1 ranks fourth best in the National Football League; and WHEREAS, One of the most accomplished players in Dallas Cowboys history, Tony Romo has inspired countless football fans with his athleticism, endurance, and commitment to excellence, and it is indeed a pleasure to recognize him for his many contributions to the sport; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby honor Tony Romo for his outstanding career with the Dallas Cowboys and extend to him sincere best wishes as sincere best wishes as he embarks on the next exciting chapter of his life.”

It’s the continuation of a Romo good bye tour that began with his decision to walk away from football for health and family reasons.

Last month, the Dallas Mavericks paid tribute to Romo prior to their final home game against Denver. Romo spent the day with the Mavericks. He particpated in warm-up drills, was introduced as a guard out of Eastern Illinois and received messages from coach Rick Carlisle and superstar Dirk Nowitkzi.

This story was originally published May 2, 2017 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Texas House to honor former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo."