Tony Romo Interview: Beef - It's Why He Talked to Us

Tony Romo is a busy man, but if you let him talk about beef, which he loves to eat and just started endorsing earlier this year, he'll give you a few minutes to ask about tailgating, announcer pay, the Dallas Cowboys and being awesome at golf.

SD: Well, let's get right into it. What's for dinner?

TONY ROMO: Beef? It's what's for dinner. (Yes, he did the voice). We probably have that, I don't want to say every day, but we definitely have it a lot here. That's why I’m fortunate to be a partner with beef. It's been a part of my family forever. My boys, we love grilling, getting out there, you know in Wisconsin, we do it at my parents all the time. We were up there a couple weeks ago. So it’s been fun and can't go wrong with anything, any of the cuts.

SD: Tell me about Tony's Grilling Playbook. Is this something that you adjust every week based on the opponent?

ROMO: That's a good question. I mean, I do think that you're trying to always figure out what's too much, is the family like in this more than that. But there's so many different options. It's like beef brisket, make rib-eye at a different time. Throw burgers on the grill this time. You can make the tri-tip tacos. There's a bunch of different stuff. So I feel like the biggest thing is making them good. So that way your kids want them again. Plus you get a lot of joy out of it. I mean it makes you feel like did I win? Did I win? Did I cook this good? And I tell them all the time, even if I don't make them that good, lie to me, make sure that you tell me I did good and then we'll all be okay in the household.

SD: So you work most Sundays, do you ever actually get a chance to do real tailgating or just mostly cooking your backyard?

ROMO: There's times, yeah I mean most Sunday, but there are Sundays, you know, we don't do the Super Bowl every year. There's other weeks that come up and then on top of it it's not just Sundays. There's football days for high school to college and other stuff like that sometimes. But tailgating, it's been a part of my family since we were young. The last five, six, seven years the smoker has been a big deal so a lot of stuff like that we've enjoyed.

SD: What's your favorite place to tailgate?

ROMO: I would say our backyard. I think just having people over and getting out there and cooking and having everyone have a good time. That's one of my favorite things to do and I know that's something my wife looks forward to as well. 

SD: Do you think that at some point they'll let you and Jim Nantz do some tailgating before a game.

ROMO: Well the only thing is I can't actually like spill on my shirt so that would be difficult. The way I eat especially. I'm always trying to manage spilling, manage fullness, because otherwise I'm just gonna go lay on the couch and be like 'I'll make it to you later.' But it's too important. I think I’ve got to do the game.

SD: If you were going to tailgate with Jim Nantz, what would you make?

ROMO: I'd probably make one of the cuts. Probably a rib-eye. Something juicy and tender like that. Mmm, yeah, probably something like that, I think Jim would like.

SD: Well when you signed your most recent contract with CBS changed the way that top-line announcers get paid. Do you feel a lot of pressure to live up to that? Is there a feeling of competition as you see other guys like Troy Aikman also get paid?

ROMO: Oh no, I think everyone in the industry supports each other. I mean for us, anytime somebody makes money, it's a good thing. It's like players like everyone thinks they're gonna be upset, it's like well all when somebody makes more money that's helping out everybody else and so I think it's well deserved. I think there's a lot of talented play-by-play and analysts out there. Troy [Aikman] and Joe [Buck], I'm really happy for them. I think that's well deserved and I think that's a good thing, you know, for the whole industry.

SD: Who are some of your favorite announcers?

ROMO: Yeah, I think growing up it was obviously like John Madden, Pat Summerall, Al Michaels. I mean these guys were legends and still are, you know, and then the obvious guys today when I was playing. It was a big deal to talk to any of those guys, Cris Collinsworth, Troy, you know, Joe. Phil [Simms], Jim, whenever any of these guys would come in, it was just like a big deal. So they're all in those positions for a reason. They're really talented

SD: With Jason Garrett going to NBC, are you worried there will be nowhere for Dak Prescott to work when he retires?

ROMO: That was a good one, you've been saving that one there, That's pretty good. Um, No, I haven't quite thought about that, but I think that's pretty immersed in what he's doing right now.

SD: How do you think the Cowboys will do this year?

ROMO:  I think the Cowboys will do well. I think that they still have a really strong roster. I think the Jones family and Will McClay have really drafted well over the years. It's kept them in position to continue to compete at a high level. Like everything it's going to come down to the end of the year and you'll see where you're at and you’ve gotta make some plays and if you do, you move on. If you don't… but you’ve gotta put all the work in right now and starts in a couple of weeks.

SD: I heard you took up golf recently. How's that been going?

ROMO: It's been going okay. It's been fun. Not in 104-degree heat that we've been having lately, but it's been fun and we’re going to get to some other places in up in Wisconsin and over in Lake Tahoe. So we've had a blast with it.

SD: How would you compare standing over that putt to win to some of your bigger moments in the NFL, pressure-wise.

ROMO: Well any time something is important to you, I feel like you care so there's pressure, but like the same in the NFL, iyou're relying on your practice habits, your instincts and then when it comes down to winning, you trust one thing fully, like 100 percent. The shot, the putting stroke, whatever it is, you have to go to these, I call them 100 percent rule, but you just get to a position to where you trust this one-hundred percent. Whether it goes in or doesn't, but you're gonna do something, you know cold. It's not going to be some new thing you think or some perfect little art, but, nope, this is what I'm going with and here it is. Boom. And you trust it and you built that through years of repetition. But that's what makes it fun. I mean, honestly, when you get in those positions toward the end and you get in contention, I think that's when it's fun.