Tony Romo Has Mastered the Elite Mindset

OK, I admit it.  I'm a huge homer.  I am a big Dallas Cowboy fan, and, perhaps, an even bigger Tony Romo fan.  Despite the many people who criticize Romo, label him a choker and think he only puts up big numbers, Romo has orchestrated more 4th quarter comebacks in the last decade than any other NFL quarterback.  

I particularly like to quote him because what he says often provides so much insight into the mindset of an elite athlete.  Here is what Romo had to say after he fired the winning touchdown with 7 seconds left to play in the opening game of the 2015 NFL season against the New York Giants.  His leadership helped the Cowboys to a 27-26 win.  

“What you have to understand is that you rehearse this and prepare for is in your mind way before the game,” Romo said. “The more times you can do that, it just feels like you’ve already gone through it. You can make it a repetitive thing that is systematic and not random.”

"You've just got to stay calm," Romo explained. "At that moment, at that point in the game, you can't just fall on it and protect the football. There's not much time left, and you've got to have poise in that situation when random things happen. Someone misses a block, ball is on the ground, whatever it is that comes up, you find through the years if you play long enough that the experiences you've had you can just get calm, get back up, trust your guys around you to do their job and then go through the progression."

Though the game was exciting and came down to the last play, Romo understands the importance of maintain the proper level of arousal, mental visualization, and the need to stay calm throughout the game.  He also understands that great plays and exciting comebacks are about preparation and deliberate practice.  

For more on mental conditioning, download the Mindfuel app:  http://appmc.hn/1aekztQ.   

For more about the Dallas Cowboys franchise, buy the book, Razor Thin:   The Difference Between Winning and Losing.  

Excerpts taken from ESPN.go.com.  

Tony Romo's Playoff Composure

"You just have to stay in the moment and understand the game, It doesn't end after the first quarter, second quarter. You just have to keep calm. I've played enough games to understand that. Maybe I didn't do that as well when I was younger.''

-Tony Romo, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, after a 24-20 comeback wild-card playoff victory over the Detroit Lions.  

Romo provided leadership to the Cowboys with his perseverance, tenacity, composure, and experience.  After being down 20-7 to the Lions, the Cowboys with Romo at the helm, bounced back and took over the game with 17 second-half points to win.  They now play the Green Bay Packers next weekend in the quest for a berth in the NFC championship game on the road to the Super Bowl.   Romo endured six defensive sacks and constant pressure from the Lions during a difficult first half to end up with 293 passing yards for the win.   

"If you are mentally tough enough, and you've been through it, and I think experience helps you, you just get rid of those thoughts and understand that this game is going to go all the way to the end," Romo said. "Just don't give them anything to let this game get out of reach and it will find a way to get back at the end."

Romo has the ultimate goal, the Super Bowl, in mind.  “As players, we all want to be playing in that game and holding that trophy at the end of the year,” Romo said. “Just hoist it up and know that you accomplished your goal that you set. I know that’s my goal. I mean, everything else is just peanuts compared to it.”

An experienced, talented but much maligned quarterback, Romo, who has won only two playoff games in his career, understands the importance of taking advantage of rare opportunities for championships.  "More than anything, you just know that every season is a different season,” Romo said. “I was around football enough to know, three or four seasons before then, how tough it can be.”

Romo's composure has rubbed off on the team.

"This team has done an unbelievable job with composure," tight end Jason Witten said after the game. "It's been that way since April. I think when you experience what we have the last few years, there's a mindset. The change that you wanna see, you have to go do something about it. I've said it all year, we watched those games, we talked about the handful of plays that were difference-makers in [the] game."

Will the talent, preparation, and mental conditioning of the Cowboys prevail in Green Bay?

Excerpts from nytimes.com (1/3/2015 & 1/4/2015), sports.yahoo.com (1/4/2015), nfl.com (1/4/2015), and madison.com (1/6/2015).

For more on Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys, check out the book:  Razor Thin:  The Difference Between Winning and Losing.   

The Maturation of Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys

"Truthfully, before the season even started, we felt different, The biggest thing is, we stay together, we play together. We're more of a family. We respect one another and we try to bring out the best in each other. That's the difference."--Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys' wide receiver, who scored three touchdowns and 114 yards on six receptions against the Eagles in Philadelphia.

After three consecutive mediocre, non-playoff 8-8 seasons (and much criticism from fans and the media), the Dallas Cowboys are back on top of the NFC East after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles this past Sunday night. The Cowboys are 10-4 and in solid playoff contention with two regular season games to go.

What are the keys to the Cowboys success this season?

1.  Making solid personnel decisions based on football needs rather than marketing needs.

The Cowboys came very close to drafting Johnny Manziel this off-season.  While Manziel could still develop into an excellent NFL quarterback, the Cowboys resisted that splashy, sexy move. The drafting of Manziel would have created a media circus and disrupted a team that needed a quiet, focused off-season to prepare for 2014.  The move would also have created the quarterback controversy that has plagued the Cleveland Browns, who did draft Manziel, the entire season.

Instead, the Cowboys have found talent in unexpected places.  The Cowboys' quarterback, Tony Romo, was an undrafted rookie, when he signed with them.  DeMarco Murray, the NFL's leading rusher this season, was drafted in the third round out of Oklahoma.  Jason Witten, their veteran tight end, was also drafted in the third round out of Tennessee.

The Cowboys also stayed true to their long-term strategy of building a strong offensive line to take advantage of their talented skill position players. Rather than focusing on getting more star players, they continued to draft and sign quality linemen to protect Romo and open holes for their running backs.    

2.  Learning the lesson of continuity and patience.

The Cowboys resisted the temptation of making wholesale changes to pacify frustrated fans. They stuck with Jason Garrett as their head coach.  There are not many teams that would have shown the patience, confidence and loyalty to their head coach that the current regime in Dallas did.  This patience is paying dividends this season and, probably, beyond.

The Cowboys have also stuck with their talented but aging stars like Romo and Witten. Romo is one of the most criticized and polarizing players in the NFL.  Romo has been criticized and questioned for his talent as well as his ability to deal with pressure situations for years, yet the Cowboys have always had extreme confidence in his play and his leadership, as well as his mental toughness.   Witten, always a solid citizen in the locker room, continues to prove his NFL Hall of Fame credentials with his blocking and pass catching.

Despite off-field problems early in his career, Bryant has also matured and the Cowboys have stuck with him as well.  His performance this year as been crucial to their success.

There is much football yet to be played this season, but the Dallas Cowboys are in the thick of things due to their maturity, patience, and sound decision-making at the top.


For more on Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys, get the book:  Razor Thin:  The Difference Between Winning and Losing.

Inside the Mind of a New NFL Coach: Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys

"Be great today.  That's what it's about.  You have to be good each and every day in everything that you do, and if you continue to do that, the right habits will develop and hopefully the results will come.

"We don't talk a lot about winning games. We talk about doing things the right way and then being prepared to play the best you can play."

--Jason Garrett.  

Garrett, in his first game as the Dallas Cowboys' head coach, led his team to a 33-20 upset victory over the favored New York Giants.  It was their first win since late September.  The Cowboys entered the game with a 1-7 record, after beginning the season as a Super Bowl favorite.    

Though he encouraged his players to enjoy the win, Garrett was already thinking about the next opponent:  the Detroit Lions.  

"It's hard not to get your mind going on the next one," he said. "You're challenged so much in this league. Detroit is going to be a great challenge for us on Sunday afternoon."

Garrett wants the team prepared as much as possible, because he's a firm believer that each work day incrementally determines the outcome on Sunday.

The Cowboys played inspired, energetic football in beating the NFC East-leading Giants.

"Like Jason said, and it's kind of boring, but you're trying to put good days upon good days," backup quarterback Jon Kitna said. "And hopefully it gives you a chance to win on Sunday and then you perform well on Sunday."  

Kitna was forced into a starting role since a shoulder injury sidelined starter Tony Romo.   Kitna, in his third start, threw for 327 yards off of 13-of-22 passing with three touchdowns. He had six completions of at least 25 yards, including four plays that went for over 40 yards each.

"You have to constantly prove to the players that what you're telling them is the right stuff," Garrett said. "I think a big part of that is having the right kinds of players, players who are receptive to coaching. We have the right coaches here, we have the right kind of players here."

"Certainly winning the ballgame on Sunday is an important part of credibility for coaches," Garrett said. "And that's whether you're a new coach or if you've been coaching a team for a long time. … The business is a bottom line business. You have to win games. You have to perform on Sundays. But I think the best way to go about doing that is taking care of the process along the way. So I think our players understand that."

• One day at a time, one game at a time
• Establish credibility
• Foster positive work habits
• Have players with receptivity to coaching 
• Build on success
• Focus on results  

What is your mindset?  Are your teammates responding?   

Excerpts from www.dallascowboys.com (November 15 &16, 2010) 

For more on the Dallas Cowboys franchise, click on Dallas Cowboys:  Peak Performance Case Study.  

Tony Romo: Dallas Cowboys' Quarterback Learns About Accountability

"It's very easy in this profession to look at somebody else and blame. It's almost difficult to make yourself accountable to the rest of the guys. But when trouble arrived, we stayed committed to the plan. There wasn't all the little bickering and guys stayed committed to the team.

"I've only been playing for four years now, but we played two of them before and I felt like one of them was my fault. So I didn't feel like this was the most impossible thing ever that everyone made it out to be. The other thing is, if you're good enough you'll win. If I wasn't good enough to win a playoff game as a quarterback then I wouldn't have. It's very simple in the approach. It's just I'm going to go out there and play as hard as I can, I'm going to commit to it fully, this team is and if we're good enough to win, we'll find a way to get the job done."

--Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys' quarterback, disucssing his maturity and sense of accountability.

In his first career playoff win after two defeats, Romo completed 23 of 35 passes for 244 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had a 104.9 passer rating.

"That No. 9 over there has a long future that’s just beginning to reach its potential in my mind. You can put a lot of things together when you’ve got stability at quarterback. It falls off fast. It’s like holding Jell-O when you don’t have a quarterback."

--Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys' owner.

"He's certainly developed as a quarterback. This is a completely different team, the dynamics of this team are very different.

"And again, I keep saying this, but his approach is to try to get better every day. That's what's allowed him to grow and to develop, and it has a lot to do with how he goes about his business, and hopefully, he can continue that this week."

--Jason Garrett, Dallas Cowboys' assistant head coach.

Romo uses self-talk to overcome mistakes.

"I said to myself, 'OK, I threw an interception, but I can't play as if I'm afraid to throw another one, Romo said after an interception this year. "If I do, I won't play with the same tempo or speed or ability."

Romo is focused on continuous improvement. "Nothing excited me more than to work on something and see the improvement," said Romo, who finished the regular season with 26 touchdowns and a 1.6 interception percentage -- Dallas' best since Troy Aikman in 1998. "When I stop improving, I'll quit."

With that, the Dallas Cowboys have alot more in mind for the NFL playoffs.

"Our goals are much bigger than winning that first game," Dallas linebacker Keith Brooking said after the Cowboys beat the Eagles, 34-14, Saturday night, in the wild card playoff game. "That's just being dead honest with you. We have a lot left that we want to accomplish and do. This is just the tip of the iceberg for us."

"Know what? It won't be as much fun if we don't take care of business during the week and prepare the way we can," safety Ken Hamlin said. "Continuing playing is great, but we're not settling for this one game."

"That's what I love about this team, it's on to the next thing," defensive end Marcus Spears said. "You really don't have time to soak in what you just did."

Balancing focus, intensity and calm, Romo is extremely competitive.

"I know that sometimes my nature seems too light," said Romo, who became the first quarterback in Cowboy history to take every snap of the season. "But underneath I'm extremely competitive. I'm focused."

Excerpts from ESPN.com, Dallas News.com, New York Daily News, and CBSsports.com (January 4,10-11, 2010).

For more on the Dallas Cowboys franchise, click on Dallas Cowboys: Peak Performance Case Study.

Dallas Cowboys Gain Momentum and Confidence

"The thing with this success is that we just have to be even harder on each other, expect even more out of each other. With each win comes great expectations. We're not just talking about from the outside; we're talking about in our own locker room, from ourselves."

--Jay Ratliff, Dallas Cowboys' nose tackle.

The Dallas Cowboys are on a three game winning streak and have increasing confidence. Cowboy quarterback Tony Romo threw touchdown passes to three receivers, including his new favorite target Miles Austin, and didn't have an interception for a career-best third straight game, leading the Cowboys to a 38-17 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday and into a tie with the Philadelphia Eagles for the division lead in the NFL NFC East.

"I feel good about the progress we've made, but we've still got a ways to go."
--Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys' head coach.

PATRICK CRAYTON DEALS WITH ADVERSITY

"You've got to make the most of the opportunities you can," wide receiver Patrick Crayton said. "That's the only way you can view it."

Since losing his starting wide receiver position to Miles Austin and briefly the punt return job to Allen Rossum, Patrick Crayton has scored three touchdowns in two games.

It's his third streak of at least two games with a touchdown over the last three seasons. On Sunday, November 1, 2009, he added three catches for 39 yards, including a big third-down grab on a drive that put the Cowboys up, 14-3, in the second quarter.

"He shows you how to be a professional, how to go about your job every day," Cowboy wide receiver Kevin Ogletree said. "Pat, I don't think he lets anything bother him."

Crayton, whose punt return average (16.6 yards) is better than his per catch average (14.6), should be applauded for how he has acted.

"Some may say, 'He's just doing what he's supposed to do,' " Crayton said. "That's how I look at it."

"Patrick's been nothing but a great teammate and player since he's been here," quarterback Tony Romo said. "He knows the competitive side of the game, the ups and the downs that go with it. What allows him to go forward and be successful is his mind and ability to keep working. For some reason, he always comes out on top. That's pretty good."

“He understands that he’s going to play a ton,” Romo said before a win over the Atlanta Falcons. “To think he’s not going to be a major part of this offense is wrong.”

“It’s a long season of ups and downs, and the mental side of the game is what it’s all about,” tight end Jason Witten said. “I think he did a great job of understanding those challenges and really just stepping up and being the same guy every day. And it showed on Sunday.”

"Week in and week out, you've got to prove yourself. If you don't they'll find somebody else. My job is to do whatever they ask me to do, plain and simple. I'm not going to ever lose confidence in myself and hopefully they don't , either."

--Patrick Crayton, about his role on the team after being demoted.

"It's never even been thought of mine that Patrick Crayton wouldn't walk out there and play like he'd just been named to the Pro Bowl. On any given play, I think he'll play that way. From my standpoint, thinging about this team, we shouldn't waok on eggshells over that kind of issue That's not the point here. The point is that we're all lucky to be here."

--Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys' owner, discussing the controversy that arose when it was reported that Crayton took offense to not being told about the decision to demote him by a coach, rather than the media.

LOOKING FORWARD AND IMPROVING

"For us, it's just about improving and getting better," Romo said. "I can say it 55,000 times, but it's true."

"We want to keep improving and keep trying to win games. That's been our motto all season," Romo said. "We don't really think about other teams. Our season is about the things we can control."

"This team has a good chemistry. They are hard workers. We have a lot of guys that play a role, whatever that is. They accept it and they try to do really well at that role."

--Wade Phillips.


Excerpts from Dallas News.com (November 2, 2009), Associated Press (November 1, 2009 and ESPN.com (November 1-2, 2009).

For more on mental conditioning, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.

Tony Romo Deals With Continued Criticism as High-Profile Dallas Cowboys' Quarterback

''You're always frustrated and disappointed when you don't play to what you feel like you're capable of. That was me last week. There's a lot of adversity you have to go through at different times, and if you keep plugging away, playing hard and just trying to get better, it'll come out the right way. ... This week was all about trying to execute better so we could come out and get a win.''

--Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys' quarterback, discussing his ability to bounce back from a last-minute loss to the New York Giants with a solid, but unspectacular 21-7 win over the Carolina Panthers.

Romo, who has been roundly criticized for his inability to win a playoff game for the Cowboys as well as his ability to put up great passing statistics (17 career 300- yard passing games) without scoring enough touchdowns, is on the hot seat in Dallas, a city that is hungry for a Super Bowl winner. Many people feel that he has been given too much notoriety for very little performance.

"Tony Romo was anointed as a star without doing anything in the NFL," said former Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett.

"He's still young, still learning, growing," Dorsett added. "He's on that curve. It kind of reminds me of where the Giants were a couple years ago with Eli (Manning), who had a dominating guy on the offense in (since-traded tight end) Jeremy Shockey, similar to what was going on here with T.O. Now maybe his growth as a quarterback will speed up. He doesn't have this T.O. guy in his ear. I don't know exactly how much of an issue it was with T.O., because I wasn't there. But you sure heard a lot about it. So now that's gone."

"I thought Romo really was determined to be smart, relative to turnovers and was taking what was given to him," Jerry Jones, Cowboys' owner said after the Carolina game.

After throwing three interceptions against the Giants, Romo was careful with the football. Romo finished 22-of-32 for 255 yards and no interceptions.

Romo appears to be immune from the criticism and continues to try to learn and improve.

"The criticism is meaningless to me," Romo said about fallout from the Giants loss. "If I throw four TDs last week, everyone thinks you're amazing and might be this or that. It's the same as if people tell you you're no good. It doesn't matter. It's all about improving and doing it on the field."

"I am much tougher on myself than any of you guys ever will be," Romo told the media. "I have goals I hope to achieve as an individual and collectively as a group. I get frustrated and disappointed when I don't live up to what my standard is. That's why I come back with a purpose to improve. My sole focus this week was to understand why I did certain things and not make those mistakes again.

"Sometimes you have to go through the growing pains to get there."

For many Cowboy fans, their patience is wearing thin.

Excerpts from ESPN.com, Dallas Morning News and FoxSports.com, September 29, 2009.

For more on Peak Performance, click on The Handbook of Peak Performance.