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It's not all that often that the starting quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys returns to campus for Homecoming Weekend in the heart of the National Football League season. But the stars aligned for Eastern Illinois athletics the weekend of Oct. 16-18, 2009, as Tony Romo took advantage of the bye week in the Cowboys' schedule to return to Charleston to have his No. 17 retired and to be inducted into the EIU Hall of Fame.

 

It wasn't the first time Romo had returned since closing out his EIU experience in the spring of 2003. But it was no doubt the most significant, garnering some national news coverage. He was the first Panther football player to have his number retired and only the fifth student-athlete total.

 

Ed Corley (friend of athletics), Henry Domercant (men's basketball), Sean Lyons (baseball) and Don Neece (wrestling) were also inducted into the EIU Hall of Fame along with Romo on Oct. 17. The five men were honored at the annual Hall of Fame induction banquet and at halftime of the Panthers' 23-15 victory against Tennessee Tech.

 

Romo spoke to the current EIU team prior to the 1:30 kickoff against Tennessee Tech. At halftime, an 18-by-60 foot No. 17 jersey was unveiled on the west wall of Lantz Fieldhouse and he was also presented with a framed EIU jersey by university president Dr. William Perry.

 

“You don't expect it,” Romo said. “It's almost embarrassing that everybody wants to look at you and tell you that you did something good. The time I had here was an unbelievable time in my life, helped shape me in a lot of ways to become the person that I am today.”

 

Both Romo's current (Dallas) and former (EIU) teams went on to win their division and conference, respectively, later that season.

 

As EIU quarterback from 2000-02, Romo was named Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year three times while leading the Panthers to three straight Football Championship Subdivision playoff appearances. In 2002, he won the Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS.

After going undrafted in 2003, Romo signed with the Cowboys but did not see the field until the 2006 season. His first start came against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8, resulting in a 35-14 victory.

Fellow EIU alumnus Sean Payton, who also played quarterback for the Panthers, helped Romo break into the NFL as the assistant head coach/quarterbacks coach of the Cowboys from 2003-05. Coincidentally, Payton will have his EIU No. 18 retired this season at halftime of the Panthers' Sept. 11 home opener against Central Arkansas.