Cowboys extend Romo’s deal through 2013

 Irving, TX  - The Dallas Cowboys announced a six-year contract
 extension for quarterback Tony Romo at a Tuesday afternoon press conference.

 The  deal, which will  keep Romo in a Cowboys uniform through the 2013 season,
 is  reportedly worth  $67.5 million.  It  makes him  one of  the highest  paid
 quarterbacks in the NFL.

 The  27-year-old  Romo, whose  contract was  set to  expire at  the end of the
 season,  has completed 62.8 percent of his passes this season for 1,984 yards,
 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Dallas is 6-1 this year, Romo's first as
 a full-time starter.

 Cowboys  owner Jerry  Jones hopes  Romo  can follow  in the  footsteps of  Don
 Meredith, Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman and become one of the standout QBs in
 franchise history.

 "This  is just  the beginning of what Tony  is about as far as the Cowboys are
 concerned and what we believe to be our future," Jones said.

 For  his career, Romo has completed 64.2 percent of his passes for 4,887 yards
 with 35 TDs and 22 interceptions.

 "I'm  really  excited about  the opportunity  and the chance  that we have the
 ability  to do something special this year and hopefully a lot of years," Romo
 said.

 Romo,  who  played collegiately  at Eastern Illinois,  wasn't drafted, but was
 signed  as  a free agent in  2003 by the Cowboys.  In 2006, Romo went from the
 bench to the Pro Bowl in a 10-game stretch.

 "It  is a  feel good story. To me  it's a continuing great story of a guy that
 didn't  come from nowhere so to speak," Cowboys head coach Wade Phillips said.
 "He  did come from a small school, worked his way, bided his time until he got
 the opportunity to show what he could do."

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