Emotional Tony Romo says he supports Prescott, will not be a distraction

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo read a prepared statement Tuesday, saying he will not be a distraction to his team and will support current starting quarterback Dak Prescott moving forward.

Romo injured his back during a pre-season game. Prescott took over and has led the team to an 8-1 record, including an eight game winning streak.

“To say the first half of the season has been emotional is a huge understatement. Getting hurt when you have one of the best teams you’ve ever played with was a soul crushing moment,” Romo said. “Through it all, you have a tremendous amount of guilt. That’s when you are forced to come face-to-face with what’s happening.”

Romo went on to say, “When you’ve been injured two seasons in a row, you’re in your late 30s, and your potential successor has arrived … you have to start all over, you feel like an outsider. It’s a dark place. Probably the darkest it’s ever been.”

It is at moments like these “you find out who you really are,” Romo said, “In football, you are not handed everything, you earn everything and a great example is Dak. He has earned the right to be the rigth to be our quarterback – as hard as it is to say, he has earned that right.”

Romo said it’s not always easy to watch, but he will not allow this situation to distract Dak and the team. “Dak knows I have his back. It’s about the team. There’s greatness is being the teammate who truly wants to be a part of the team.”

Romo recalled being a young quarterback asked to step in and prove himself. “I remember it like it was yesterday. If I remember one thing from back then, it’s the people who helped me along when I was young.”

Romo ended his news conference by saying, “I feel like we all have two enemies, one with the man across from you, one from the man inside of you. Once you control the man inside of you, the one outside does not really matter.”

“The way that Dak Prescott is playing. There’s no reason to think that, with the talent he’s got around him, he can’t continue this,” Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones said of his starting quarterback Tuesday morning on his regularly scheduled appearance on KRLD-FM.

WFAA in Dallas reports Jones has already named Prescott the starter, and Tony Romo the backup, for Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. WFAA reports Jones wouldn’t rule out playing Romo in case of an injury, saying, “that’s the reason you have backups.”