"It Is a Great Job, but It's One that Demands a lot of You"

36 | SEE A DIFFERENT GAME 08/02/2010

but it’s one that demands a lot of you

It is a great job,

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Sporting News Conversation:

Roger Staubach and Tony Romo

SPORTINGNEWS.COM 08/02/2010 | 37

Perhaps no quarterback in the league is under more pressure than the Cowboys’ Romo, and that has a lot to do with the Dallas ideal created by Staubach, who led the franchise to two Super Bowl wins in the 1970s and turned it into America’s Team

One would be hard-pressed to name an American team-sport athlete with a finer

reputation than Roger Staubach’s.A former Heisman Trophy

winner and Naval supply officer in Vietnam, Staubach led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl victories and zero losing seasons in the 1970s, when Dallas became the epicenter of the NFL. Often portrayed—and rightly so—as the ultimate family man, “Roger the Dodger” never scrambled far from his wife and five children. His seemingly idyllic life has brought him 14 grandchildren, a marriage bearing down on 50 years and extraordinary wealth and success in the Dallas marketplace.

In all, Staubach set the bar so high that no Cowboys quarterback

could ever really outshine him. Troy Aikman won three Super Bowls in the ’90s—yeah, he did enough to make it in that town. Then there’s 30-year-old Tony Romo, a three-time Pro Bowler whose career very simply will not be remembered well—fair or not—if he fails to deliver at least one championship.

To date, Romo is known as much for the starlets he has loved as the big games he has lost. That’s lost, not won—despite his terrific 38-17 record as a starter. “It can be a tough town on a quarterback,” says Staubach, a point Romo affirms with a smile and a shake of his head.

The two sat with Sporting News’ Steve Greenberg for an offseason interview at Cowboys headquarters in Irving, Texas.

Photo by Jay Drowns / SN

NFL QBS:

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Tony Romo and Roger Staubach

Staubach (left) sees hints of his game in Romo’s—in his mobility and playmaking skill—but more than anything, it’s the love of competition that they share.

SN: Is there a better job in sports than quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys?

STAUBACH: You can look at it a couple different ways. It is a great job. It’s a great team; it has a great following. But at the same time, a lot is expected of you. It puts a lot of demands on you. I kind of got in at the early stages; I had Don Meredith (to live up to), and we had some good fortune in the ’70s. Then, in the ’90s, Troy Aikman had the ’70s history. Now Tony has what took place in the ’90s. It is a great job, but it’s one that demands a lot of you. That’s probably good, or it can drive you crazy, too.

ROMO: I don’t have the longevity to look back on different things that Roger has been able to go through. Up to this point, I’m just lucky, fortunate to be able to do something I’m passionate about and love to try and get better at. To me, that’s just about the funnest thing there is to get to do.

SN: Do you guys—both Cowboys, both quarterbacks, one 68 and the other 30—feel a real connection?

STAUBACH: I think there’s a connection because we’re Cowboys quarterbacks. I still love sports; I kind of understand what the fan goes through. I’m still a great Cowboys fan. And being a quarterback, there’s something you can recognize that’s special in a quarterback. I saw that finally in Dallas with Troy … (and) I really feel Dallas has that same spark again, that same greatness at quarterback. Tony is in that period when he hits the field, something exciting, something good is going to happen. I look at Tony the same way I look at Peyton Manning—you just know, when he’s on the field, there’s a chance your team is going to win.

ROMO: For me it’s tough because as the season goes on and you’re playing this position, people ask for time or commitments and I don’t get to see Roger or Troy nearly

as much as I would like. But it’s really a neat thing when you get to hang out and talk with them because there are only a few people that have experienced some of the things that you’ve gone through and really know what it’s like; they understand the ups and downs. Everything’s not just a fun-filled day, and everything’s not the worst, either. I just found out today that Roger didn’t start until he was going on 30; he was a 27-year-old rookie. He can relate to the success coming at a certain time in your career. Hopefully, I’ll be lucky enough to be able to duplicate some of the things that he’s done. You listen when he talks. You listen when Troy talks. Because they know.

STAUBACH: One of the things that was nice for me when I came in at 27 was this columnist wrote this article and said: “Roger

was a good athlete in college, but he can’t play in the pros. He’s been out too long, and he was a running quarterback.” You get the naysayers into your life. You get those juices inside of you, those competitive juices that really determine who you are. I relate to Tony. We don’t hang out—it’s not always good for an old guy to be hanging around—but there are certain things I can bring to Tony as far as some of the feelings I had because it is mental. I think we relate mentally. Tony is one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen.

There are a lot of commonalities with us. He makes plays; he makes things happen. He’s not a dropback pocket passer. I’ve kind of related to his style of play. He’s a winner, and he makes the plays, and that’s what it’s all about. … I was still running around my last year. (Coach Tom) Landry said, “Hey, you’ve got to learn someday.” I said, “Hey, Coach, I’m retiring.” I knew things I wanted to do. That makes you who you are. You’ve got to be careful people don’t tell you things that take away from who you are and what your DNA is as a quarterback.

SN: Roger, how would you describe Tony’s career arc—where he is compared with where he started and where he’s going?

STAUBACH: Well, I think he’s had a fantastic career even if he retired today. A lot of things are based on playoffs and Super Bowls, but there are 32 teams now—it’s not a piece of cake. But he’s still winning. If I were starting a team in the National Football League, I’d take Tony as my quarterback.

HALL OF FAME ADVICE: CHARGERS

RIVERS: What was your favorite thing about Charlie Joiner ?

FOUTS: Reliability. I knew where Charlie was going to be every time he ran a pass route. He

never fooled me, never deceived me, never let me down. He was always where I thought he would be—and he always caught the ball. Other than that, I have nothing to say about the guy.

RIVERS: What was your favorite play?

FOUTS: Any play that scored a touchdown was my favorite one. With the offense we had, we never said, “We’ve got to run this play, and it’s going to be successful!” You know, like the Packers sweep or something. We had a slew of plays, and they all worked.

RIVERS: What was your favorite team to play against?

FOUTS: I hated all of them. — Kevin Acee, Steve Greenberg

Dan Fouts answers PHILIP RIVERS’ 3 questions

One of the things that was nice fo r me when I came in at 27 was this columnist wrot e this article and said: “Roger

of relat ed to his style of play. He’s a winner, and he makes the plays, and that’s what it’s all abo ut. … I was still running aro und my last year. (Coach Tom) Landry said, “Hey, yo u’ve got to learn someday.” I said, “Hey, Coach, I’m retiring.” I knew things I want ed to do. That makes yo u who yo u are. Yo u’ve got to be careful people don’t t ell yo u things that take away from who yo u are and what yo ur DNA is as a quart erback.

S N : Tony’s career arc—where he is compared with where he started a n d wh e r e h e’s goi n g?

fantastic career even if he retired today. A lot of things are based o n playoffs and Super Bowls, but there are 32 teams now—it’s not a piece of cake. But he’s still winning. If I were starting a t eam in the National Football Leagu e, I’d take To ny as my quarterback.

What wa s your favorite

Any play that sc ored a t ouchdown was my favorite one. With the offense we had, we never said, “We’ve got t o run this play, and it’s going t o be successful!” You know, like the Packers sweep or something. We had a sl ew

What wa s your favorite

— Kevin Acee, Steve Greenberg

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SN: Over anybody else?STAUBACH: I think there are four or five I wouldn’t

go wrong with. Peyton Manning’s great, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Tony Romo. He’s right there with the best.

ROMO: If I’m taking a 68-year-old quarterback, I want Roger. I’ll tell you that right now.

STAUBACH: That would be a good move. (Laughs.) For a 68-year-old guy, I would win the flag football championship.

ROMO: There are some good flag football stories. Troy tells a story about Roger coming out one time just a couple years ago. One of Troy’s (teammates) was huffing and puffing, like, “Roger’s moving around back there—I can’t get him!” Troy was like, “He’s 65 years old! Are you kidding me?” Roger was dodging and moving.

STAUBACH: That was a fun deal at Reunion Arena. Troy had Michael Irvin, and I had Herschel Walker. There were three or four players on each team and then a lot of fans.

ROMO: It showed Roger’s competitive side.STAUBACH: I don’t like to talk about it, but we beat

Troy. I had the better team. I had better fill-ins than he did. You know, Troy could still play. He’s 43. When I was 43, I could’ve still been playing, too.

SN: Is being quarterback of the Cowboys a harder job now than it was in the ’70s?

ROMO: I’d be pretending if I (said I) knew what it was like when Roger played. I do think that the Internet obviously makes it different. Then again, when there was only one game on television, it was such a big deal and the Cowboys became America’s Team; there’d be one game on and it would be a Dallas Cowboys game. In that regard, it was almost bigger. I think athletes were kind of legends while they played a little bit. At least I felt that way when I was growing up.

STAUBACH: First we won, and then Tom Landry had this great image, so people liked us. … Like Tony

mentioned, right now there’s the Internet and all the talk shows. There’s a lot more of that today. Things were scrutinized back then; we had certain players who were single and active, but they didn’t get near the exposure. It wasn’t judged like it is with Tony. But he works as hard as any player on the team, and that’s the key. As long as your teammates know you’re working hard. But with the media you have to be careful sometimes because perception can become the reality. All these TV and radio shows, they need content. The Cowboys are popular, so you get exposed.

SN: Were your leadership and commitment ever topics of debate, as Tony’s have been?

STAUBACH: Craig Morton and I were fighting each other for quarterback; people were picking Craig and picking me. I remember playing the Eagles in Texas Stadium, I was booed. It wasn’t as hunky-dory as people think. I remember getting booed at Texas Stadium. (Tony,) you never get booed.

ROMO: If I did I’ve blocked it out, so let’s keep it that way.

STAUBACH: I had more bad games than he’s had.ROMO: It’s the (mentality) today. Until you win

the Super Bowl, that’s part of the process. I can still remember 2004: Peyton Manning has this incredible season, wins MVP, throws 49 touchdowns and has a perfect game (vs. Denver) in the playoffs. Then he goes to New England and they struggle and they lose that game. All of the sudden, the next day, the headline is: “He can’t win the big game.” He wasn’t good enough. He’d just had the greatest statistical season in the NFL at that time, and then his team lost. It goes to show the scrutiny you’re under until you win a Super Bowl. If you think people are tough on you, well, that’s part of the job. If you can’t take it or you don’t like it, then you should probably go do something else.

NFL QBS:

With three Super Bowl victories to his credit,

Aikman is the player every Cowboys quarterback is

measured against.

GINORMOUS...G I N O R M O U S ...WE HAVEG I N O R M O U S ...BRANDS.

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SN: Tony, is there anything about your leadership and commitment that merits questioning to begin with?

ROMO: I don’t know. The media can definitely shape you. The thing with me, like Roger said, is that it’s what your teammates and the people that see you see every day. The hardest thing for me would be if someone is a fake. If someone is going to tell everyone how hard he works and then I see him around here not working hard, that wouldn’t last very long. If the media presents someone as “he whines all the time” or something, but we see he’s not like that, then as teammates and a coaching staff we’re fine with the guy as long as he’s committed to the approach and doing things the right way. Whatever the media wants to present, that’s just part of winning and losing.

SN: Roger, do you think Tony has been treated fairly?

STAUBACH: Fairly? I think people who are fans and understand sports know that he’s a great quarterback. The most important thing is his teammates know that. That’s what it’s all about when you hit that field.

(CBS’s) Phyllis George interviewed me one time at my house. She’s in there with me and my wife, Marianne, and three of our kids right there on the couch. We were talking about Joe Namath being in New York having a great time. I said, “What are you trying to say, Phyllis? That I don’t enjoy life or something?” I said, “I enjoy sex just like Joe Namath does. I just do it with one woman.” That dang thing got all over the place, like I was some sort of weirdo.

I think Tony and I have different lifestyles, but on the field we’re very similar. This guy wants to win, and he competes, and his teammates love him. They know how good he is. And he makes plays and he never complains. Off the field, he’s a good guy. He’s just single!

ROMO: Not anymore. I’m not single anymore.

STAUBACH: Well, that’s good. You’re not engaged, are you?

ROMO: No. (Laughs.)STAUBACH: But the big thing is, we’re

football players. We may happen to have different lifestyles. There’s nothing wrong with his lifestyle. But on the field, your teammates have to believe in you and you have to be a hell of a quarterback. That’s what you get paid for.

SN: On the whole, are NFL quarterbacks better now than they were in Roger’s day?

ROMO: I think—just throwing this out there—there are three or four special guys who separate themselves in each decade, and it might be only two or three sometimes. But then you have the next tier of really pretty good ones that just don’t win the championships or do something that gets them over the hump. I would say there are more second-tier guys now, in that sense. If there were three or four dominant ones in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, at the next level there would’ve been three or four guys there. Now, I feel there are eight or 10 that play at a high enough level that they could be considered in that second stage. And the bottom-level guys then probably weren’t as good as the bottom-level guys now. But the best ones still, no question, would’ve risen to the top in any decade.

STAUBACH: Well, they throw the ball a lot more today, but why do you throw the ball a lot more today? The rules changes. If the linebackers were dropping back and (receivers) were getting smacked around right up until the throw, you couldn’t hit guys down the field. If you completed 55 percent of the passes back in the old days, that would be equal to 65 today, I would think. As far as the quality of the players, they’re bigger and faster today, so you can’t take away that. You see college kids throw for 500 yards a game and then they get to the pro level and there’s just not a weak person over there (on defense). You’ve got to have a strong arm, and also, mentally, you have to be able to have somewhat of a clue what’s going on over there.

You’re playing against 11 great athletes over there.

ROMO: And you’ve got to be able to throw with people around. ... In the NFL right now, you’re going to throw 28, 30 passes, and on 20 of those throws you’re not going to have a real comfort level. Ten throws a game, you can drop back in rhythm and throw a good ball; the other 15 or 20, you’re going to have your body weight in a weird position, like you may have to stop your weight from moving forward or a guy is going to be on your left side so you can’t finish a throw. You’re going to have to throw around somebody, over somebody or through somebody.

SN: One thing that hasn’t changed is that quarterbacks are made legendary by winning Super Bowls. Roger, you probably think these Cowboys are pretty close?

STAUBACH: Well, knock on wood, I think the Dallas Cowboys football team is in the top group in the NFL, but anything can happen. I watched Tony a few years ago; he had the best season a Cowboys quarterback has probably ever had. He was 13-3 (in 2007), then he had a really great playoff game against the Giants, but a play here, a play there—anything can happen in the playoffs. We really do have a great team here. It’s a matter of it all falling together and injuries and the playoffs. We’re going to be in the thick of it for a number of years. We are going to win the Super Bowl—I just have that feeling, whether it’s this year or next year—and he’s going to be the quarterback.

Cowboys fans won’t forget about Romo’s

playoff failure until he wins a Super Bowl.

Tony Romo and Roger Staubach

Tony, is there anything about your leadership and commitment

t eammat es and the people that see yo u see every day. The hard est thing fo r me would be if someone is a fake. If someone is going

S N :quarterbacks better now than t h e y we r e i n Ro ge r’s d ay?

there—there are three or fo ur special guys who separat e themsel ves in each decade, and it might be o nly two o r three so metimes. But then yo u have the next tier of reall y pretty good o nes that just do n’t win the champio nships o r do something that gets them over the hump. I would say there are mo re seco nd-tier guys now, in that sense. If there were three or fo ur do minant o nes in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, at the next level there wo uld’ve been three or fo ur guys there. Now, I feel there are eight or 10 that play at a high eno ugh level that they could be co ns id ered in that seco nd stag e. And the botto m-level guys then probably weren’t as When he retired,

Staubach channeled his competitive spirit into his real estate company. Romo—who has attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open—likely will turn to golf.

‘IF YOU THINK

PEOPLE ARE

TOUGH ON YOU, WELL,

THAT’S PART OF THE JOB.’

— TONY ROMO

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SN: How about you, Tony? You’ve probably never been asked that Super Bowl question.

STAUBACH: And I hate to say it myself because I was always superstitious. I just feel good about this team. I felt good about it last year when things were starting to come around. It was a good team. We had some rough games at the beginning of the year that cost us the home-field advantage. We also saw Miles Austin come into it. Now, I think we’ve got depth. But this is Tony’s team. I’m not going to say any more.

ROMO: No, he’s right. If we had done what we needed to do early in the season last year … (but) it’s tough to go into a place like Minnesota in the playoffs. You can’t make many mistakes, and you have to create mistakes from the other team. Hopefully, we can take care of business starting from Day 1 this year and put ourselves into position going in. I know we feel very competitive about our chances.

RODGERS: What is your favorite moment from your illustrious career?

STARR: I’ll have to answer this twofold. There wasn’t just one happening, but two.

One was the initial meeting we had with Coach

Lombardi, when he came to Green Bay in 1959. He invited about 12 or 14 of our offensive players in to acquaint us with his offensive philosophy and terminology. He opened the meeting by thanking the Green Bay Packers for giving him the opportunity to become their head coach. We thought that immediately told us something about this man’s integrity and character.

Then he turned quickly to us, just a few feet away from where we were seated, and said, “Gentlemen, we are going to relentlessly chase perfection, knowing full well we won’t catch it because nothing is perfect. But we are going to— ‘and he emphasized the word’—relentlessly chase it because in the process we will catch excellence.” He paused for a moment, walked right up in our faces and said, “I’m not remotely interested in being just good.” Wow! This was the opening of our first meeting. We didn’t even need a chair to sit in, we were so pumped.

Obviously, the other great memory is the Ice Bowl and the winning touchdown sneak!

Unfortunately, the ground was very hard at that position on the field. As the backs would attempt to start, they were slipping, almost falling down, and could only get back to the line of scrimmage. We ran the same play twice. Neither gained anything.

I asked the linemen if they could get their footing for one more wedge play. They said yes. I took a timeout and ran to the sidelines to speak to Coach Lombardi and noted that there was nothing wrong with the play but because the

ground was so hard the backs literally were sliding as they attempted to get started: “Coach, I am upright, and I can shuffle my feet and lunge in.”

As an indication of the type of person he was, this was Coach Lombardi’s response: “Well then run it and let’s get the hell out of here.”

RODGERS: You’ve done things right off the field and had success on it. For a young player like myself, what’s the secret to a successful life?

STARR: I think there are a couple of very successful approaches. One is you need to prioritize your life. By that, I mean it’s God, family and others. This is how Coach Lombardi had his life prioritized. We learned a great lesson from him. That’s where it starts. When your life is prioritized, you make the appropriate decisions. Secondly, if your attitude is where it should be —and you have respect, compassion and understanding for others —you can accomplish most anything you want to in life.

RODGERS: What’s the one thing you miss most about playing football?

STARR: Camaraderie with my teammates. It was always a great experience. When you win championships, and were privileged to win as many as we were, there is such a strength-building process that goes on during that time. It’s hard to describe, hard to state. You have to experience it to understand it. But it’s something you’ll remember and be grateful for all of your life.

— Dennis Dillon, Tom Silverstein

Bart Starr answers AARON RODGERS’ 3 questionsHALL OF FAME ADVICE: PACKERS

ground was so hard the backs literall y were sliding as they attempted t o get started: “Coach, I am upright, and I can shuffl e my

As an indication of the type of person he was, this was Coach Lo m bardi’s respo n se: “Wel l then run it and l et’s get the

You’ve d o n e things right off th e field a nd had success o n it. For a young player li ke myself, what’s th e secret to a suc c essful life?

I think there are a c oupl e of very successful approaches. One is you need t o prioritize your life. By that, I mean it’s God, famil y and others. This

Bart Starr answers AARON RODGERS’ 3 questions

‘I JUST FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS TEAM. I FELT GOOD ABOUT IT LAST YEAR WHEN

THINGS WERE STARTING TO COME AROUND.’

— ROGER STAUBACH

LOOK AT THEL O O K AT T H E

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SN: Troy Aikman has three rings. Does that make him the best Cowboys quarterback?

STAUBACH: I vote for him. Three rings. I think with the three of us, though, it would be one hell of a competition if we were all on the same team. You’d have to put us into a time machine.

ROMO: I’ve got a feeling I’d be getting them water.

SN: For each of you, what is your very best moment as Cowboys quarterback?

STAUBACH: Well, the most important moment was that when I finally got a chance to (be the starter), we won the game. We beat the Cardinals, 16-13 (in 1971). It was a heck of a game up in St. Louis. If I would’ve lost that game, maybe Landry would’ve put Craig back in there. But what was exciting was when we were in that locker room after we beat Miami (to end the ’71 season, in Super Bowl 6). That was really special. Everybody had a big weight off their shoulders. We’d been on the cover of Sports Illustrated (in 1970) as the team that couldn’t win the big game. So that feeling was the best feeling I’ve had as an athlete.

ROMO: I think there are two. The second-best one for me would’ve been my first start (at Carolina in 2006). Like he said, if you don’t perform in that game—because you’re only afforded so many opportunities when you get that chance. If you’re a first-round pick, you have time. But when you’re in the position I was in, you only have so many snaps to show them that you’re able to do this and do it at a level that can win football games. It was interesting because I went into that game thinking I was going to be very nervous. But I remember going out there before the game, being on the field … (and) it was very calming. It was like: What else am I supposed to do? If I’m good enough, I’ll probably play pretty good today. If I’m not, I’ll know that I’m not a great quarterback in this league. Ever since then, it’s just strictly been about getting better and improving.

Actually, that’s probably my highlight, I guess you could say. The first time I ever went out on the field (as the quarterback), though, at halftime against the Giants (one week earlier), is right up there. When Bill Parcells took Drew Bledsoe out and put me in, the rush that I got from that moment—wow. It was like slow motion. It was almost surreal. Everything was just slow as I was running out there. It was really slow when I threw the first interception. It just got slower when I threw the second. (Laughs.)

SN: How much is Tony going to miss the game when he’s 68?

STAUBACH: When I retired (after the 1979 season), I did have some concussion issues,

Tony Romo and Roger Staubach

Perhaps the most glaring difference between

Staubach and Romo is in their off-the-field

personas: Staubach (with his wife, Marianne) was labeled a boring family

man; Romo, because of his relationships with stars like

Jessica Simpson, is known as the partying bachelor.

There might not be a better job than Cowboys

QB but, because of the team’s rich history, there

isn’t a tougher one, either.

but I’d actually had a good season and probably could’ve played another year or two. So I missed it then, but I knew I made the right decision. And until my teammates started retiring on their own, I missed it. But once they were gone, then I just got into life. But I miss the competition more than anything. It’ll last a few years when he retires. Hopefully, he’ll play until he’s 40 or 41. He can do it. He stays in great shape. Today, you can do that.

SN: Roger, you’ve had so much success outside of football, both as a Naval officer before you played professionally and in the business world. Financially, a star quarterback today doesn’t have to “make it” after football, but what do you think he has to do or ought to do?

STAUBACH: It is different because they didn’t pay quarterbacks what they do today, but we had three kids when I was in the Navy and ended up having two more. I was worried about if I got hurt or something, so I worked in the offseasons with a real estate firm, which really gave me my start. Then I decided I wanted to do that as a profession, and I started my own company (more than 30) years ago. What Tony will miss is, you still want to be competitive. The good thing about the real estate company, I was worried about it all the time. We’d win some. When

somebody would say, “Hey, they didn’t hire us,” I’d get so ticked off. I had these competitive juices in a different way. I think you have to do that some way. I mean, he can be a great golfer after he retires. You’ve got to have something that keeps you busy and competitive.

ROMO: He hit it on the head. That’s our biggest similarity: the competitive side. I wake up each day and I’m going to find a way to have a competition that day at some point, whether it’s golf, pingpong, basketball, soccer, video games—something. I don’t care what sport it is or what it involves, it’s just enjoyable to try and go out there and win and then to try and figure out how not to make the same mistake again. Improving and getting better and winning. I’m lucky to be able to play football every day.

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NFL QBS:

TEBOW: What helped you the most as you made the transition from college and got acclimated to the NFL?

ELWAY: My dad was the one that always helped me keep my perspective throughout my career. In the beginning, it’s easy to get frustrated because success doesn’t come as quickly or easily as it did in college. My dad was the one who could pick me up or give me advice to get me back on track.

TEBOW: What’s your favorite memory of playing in Denver?

ELWAY: I was fortunate enough to play my entire career in one city. Not many players can say that. Bringing the city of Denver its first Super Bowl has to be the

greatest memory. Coming home to that parade was probably the greatest feeling anyone could imagine.

TEBOW: Is there any advice you would give me as I get ready for my first year?

ELWAY: As for the football advice, you know most of it. You need to study hard, don’t force balls, trust your coach and teammates to allow you to succeed. You’re already way ahead of where I was when I entered the league in terms of dealing with the media. You understand the pressure and expectations that come with leading a top college program. Now that you’re getting paid, the expectations are much greater. People are not as forgiving nor as patient. But you can’t allow (them) to affect how you play the game.

— Steve Greenberg, Lee Rasizer

John Elway answers TIM TEBOW’S 3 questionsHALL OF FAME ADVICE: BRONCOS

greatest memory. Coming home t o that parade was probabl y the greatest feeling

Is there any advice you would give me as I get ready for my fi rst year?

As for the footbal l advice, you know most of it. You need t o study hard, don’t force bal ls, trust your c oach and teammates t o al low you t o succeed. You’re already way ahead of where I was when I entered the l eague in terms of dealing with the media. You understand the pressure and expectations that c ome with l eading a t op c ol l ege program. Now that you’re getting paid, the expectations are much greater. Peopl e are not as forgiving nor as patient. But you can’t al low (them) t o affect how you play the game.

— Steve Greenberg, L ee Rasizer

John Elw ay answers TIM TEBOW ’S 3 questions

SN: What’s the best thing about football?STAUBACH: Walking off the field looking at the

scoreboard, and you’ve won. Archie Manning and I are very good friends. He went through, like, seven coaches and never had a winning season, and he was a great quarterback—man, he was a heck of a quarterback. I don’t know what I would’ve done. I couldn’t have handled it. I was very fortunate to be drafted by the Dallas Cowboys. Walking off that field winning was an exhilaration, and walking off the field losing was very painful.

ROMO: The sense of satisfaction you get from going out there and achieving a goal with a whole bunch of guys who put forth so much time and commitment each week. To win, it gives you a sense of purpose, self-satisfaction, team satisfaction. You just want it to be Sunday night for a long time after a game. I can only imagine what happens if you finish a season like that.

STAUBACH: Nothing worse than coming back on that team plane and you’re like, “Man, we lost.” Not any fun.

ROMO: As much as I love competition, it would be very hard to be in the National Football League if you’re consistently having a losing record. I missed three games (in 2008). I don’t even know what we ended up going—9-7, I think. When I started, we were 8-5, I think. It felt like I went 3-13 that year. It was really, really difficult to go through because you’re used to a standard and it’s not enjoyable to lose at this level, and for me that’s part of the reason why you work your butt off, put yourself in a position to not allow that to happen again. And that’s what drives you, that’s what motivates you, and that’s why you’re committed to working all the hours that you do to be the best that you can be. It’s more fun to be a part of playing in the number of Super Bowls these old Cowboys have played in.

Romo enjoyed his first playoff win last winter, but

ending the season with a victory is his ultimate goal.

WE’VE GOTW E ’ V E G O THUGEHU G EBRANDS.

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