CBS NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has pleaded no contest to a charge of operating while intoxicated and has issued a statement apologizing for the actions that led to his July arrest. Romo was arrested July 23 following a traffic stop as he was driving south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin. CBS has since placed him on leave from his role as its lead NFL analyst. According to Milwaukee County court records, Romo lost his driving privileges for six months and was ordered to complete an alcohol assessment program. He also owes US$834. An interlock device must be installed on any vehicle owned or operated by Romo or registered to his name, and that order will remain in effect for at least one year after he is issued a licence. “The past month has been difficult, but it has also been personally significant,” Romo said in a statement on Instagram. “It has required me to confront and own my mistakes fully — to the Lord, to myself, to my family and now to the public.” Romo said the multiple back surgeries that led to his retirement as a player “left me with constant, debilitating pain.” He noted that the pain “led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.” “None of this is an excuse,” Romo said. “These are my failures and I take responsibility for them.” Romo said he is working with a team of doctors to address my health and “make the necessary changes.” He thanked his family, friends and the NFL community for their support. “As I turn my attention to my health, my family, and, in time, my return to CBS, I kindly ask for privacy during this period,” Romo said. CBS Sports president David Berson said last month that he does not have a timeline for a decision about Romo’s future with the network. Romo, 46, has been the lead game analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage since 2017 after making four Pro Bowl appearances during a playing career that ran from 2004-16 and was spent entirely with Dallas. Analyst JJ Watt will join play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Romo’s absence. Their first game will be on Sept. 13, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers. Citations released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office indicated that Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests and that an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage was found in the passenger’s side of his black Jeep during an inventory before it was towed. Body camera footage showed Romo telling deputies he had been coming from a golf course and was on his way “to visit grandma and grandpa” when he was stopped. A deputy told Romo he suspected him of being impaired because he had “red glassy eyes” and an “odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage.” Romo went to high school about 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee in Burlington, Wisconsin. He remains the Cowboys’ franchise leader in career touchdown passes with 248. He held the franchise record for career passing yards (34,183) until Dak Prescott overtook him last season. ___ Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
