IRVING – There is a reason Tony Romo wears No. 9, but he wants you to figure out why.
His first hint: It has to do with a New York baseball team. No, the answer is not Roger Maris, the former Yankee. Not anybody who played for the Mets, either. Or the New York Giants. Or the Brooklyn Dodgers.
He gives another clue: Buffalo's War Memorial Stadium.
Built in 1937 and nicknamed "The Rockpile," War Memorial was home of the Buffalo Bills from 1960 to '72 and the Buffalo Bisons of the International League.
But that's not the answer, either. The movie The Natural was filmed at the stadium.
Roy Hobbs, the fictional right fielder who with his bat "Wonderboy" changed the fortunes of the New York Knights, wore No. 9.
That was good enough for Tony Romo, the Cowboys' Wonderboy quarterback. Five starts and four wins into his tenure with the Cowboys, it fits.
On Thursday at Texas Stadium, flashbulbs flickered as Romo disappeared into the tunnel leading to the locker room 90 minutes before kickoff against Tampa Bay. Hundreds waited after his five-touchdown performance as the hero of the Cowboys' 38-10 victory did an on-field television interview. More flashbulbs flickered.
These are heady days for Romo, 26, who up until Oct. 15 had not thrown a pass in his pro career.
Now he is touted as the story of the year in the NFL, and the Cowboys are trendy again.
Almost daily, it seems, Romo leads off ESPN's SportsCenter. His starts have been covered by reporters from Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News and other national media outlets.
He has even been linked romantically to Jessica Simpson, although reports out of Hollywood last week had her dating musician John Mayer once again. However, Romo left tickets for Simpson's father at the Nov. 12 Arizona game and offered only a "no comment" when asked about Simpson, coyly smiling.
Maybe he is playing with all of us.
"Listen, I'm a football guy 24-7," Romo said. "To me, all that other stuff off the field is what you guys talk about."
Coach Bill Parcells needles Romo incessantly, calling him his renegade quarterback. Despite the success, Parcells picks out the mistakes not seen by laymen and says, "Trust me, it's far from perfect." Romo's teammates also give him grief so he won't get big-headed.
"The guys have kind of put that on me," said Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, Romo's closest friend on the team and roommate on road trips.
When his teammates talk about Romo, they mention the "it" factor, this indefinable magnetism that draws people to him. Some call it confidence. Some call it cockiness.
"He's always had the swagger," inside linebacker Bradie James said. "Romo's always been the coolest dude around for a while. You guys just have never seen it. He's putting it on the field now. The way he's been playing is what we've always seen with him on the practice field."
Because of Romo-mania, the phones at the football division of Creative Artists Agency in Kansas City have not stopped ringing. Romo signed a two-year extension worth $3.9 million in August that included a $2 million signing bonus, and he has a chance to cash in off the field, as well.
Before the season, Romo had a deal with Prestige Ford for a couple of radio ads. He also has a radio show and will be featured in this month's Modern Luxury Dallas magazine. He already has spent a day in Los Angeles on the NFL Network and did Fox's Best Damn Sports Show Period.
TOM FOX/DMN
Tony Romo's introduction to starting quarterback has the NFL buzzing. The Cowboys are 4-1 under his guidance.
Romo's agents, Tom Condon, Ken Kremer and R.J. Gonser, have fielded calls from companies wanting Romo to endorse their products, although Gonser does not want to identify them. Romo's Hispanic heritage could open up even more avenues. Locally, Vivian Fullerlove, founder of Dallas-based VLF Media & Promotions, has helped line up opportunities.
All of the endorsement possibilities and speaking engagements can wait, according to Romo. He's a football guy, 24-7, and his version of The Natural is not over yet.
"I don't know what 'it' is," Romo said. "You try and work hard and get better each week. I play the game with passion. I enjoy the game. It's a lot of fun when I'm out there. That's the way I play. For some reason, people like that."
E-mail tarcher@dallasnews.com
In his first five starts, Tony Romo has energized the Cowboys much as Kurt Warner and Tom Brady did their teams in St. Louis and New England. Those quarterbacks won Super Bowls in their first season as starters. Here's how their first five starts compared with Romo's:
Kurt Warner, St. Louis, 1999
Record: 5-0
Result: Won Super Bowl XXXIV
Stats: 1,428 yards, 15 TDs, 3 INTs
Tom Brady, New England, 2001
Record: 3-2
Result: Won Super Bowl XXXVI
Stats: 1,023 yards, 7 TDs, 4 INTs
Tony Romo, Dallas, 2006
Record: 4-1
Result: TBD
Stats: 1,394 yards, 10 TDs, 2 INTs
How the Cowboys' top receivers have fared before and after Tony Romo became the starting QB:
| TERRELL OWENS | | | Rec. PG | Yds. PG | TD PG | | Before | 4.7 | 63.5 | 0.8 | | After | 6.6 | 91.2 | 0.6 | | TERRY GLENN | | Before | 5.0 | 58.0 | 0.8 | | After* | 4.0 | 68.8 | 0.25 | | JASON WITTEN | | Before | 3.3 | 39.5 | 0.0 | | After | 4.4 | 48.6 | 0.2 | | PATRICK CRAYTON | | Before | 2.0 | 27.0 | 0.3 | | After | 3.2 | 55.0 | 0.2 | |
*Missed Nov. 12 game at Arizona
Cowboys (7-4) at New York Giants (6-4), next Sunday, 3:15 p.m. (Ch. 4)
