Tony Romo

Name at birth: Antonio Ramiro Romo

After three years as a backup quarterback and ball-holder for placekicks, Tony Romo replaced struggling starter Drew Bledsoe in the second half of a game in October 2006 and became the Dallas Cowboys' new star. Within a year he had led the National Football League in average yards gained per pass (8.6 in 2006), played in his first Pro Bowl all-star game (2007), and received a six-year contract extension worth a reported $67.5 million (October 2007). With an accurate arm and an ability to scramble, Romo was a standout quarterback in high school in his hometown of Burlington, Wisconsin, and at Eastern Illinois University (1999-2002). He signed as a free agent with Dallas in 2003 after no team selected him in the NFL draft. In 2006, he became the first Cowboy ever to pass for more than 220 yards in each of his first eight starts at quarterback.