The New York Giants have had a storied rivalry with the Dallas Cowboys over the years. The rivalry has featured plenty of memorable games and big names on both sides. For the generation that witnessed the Giants’ two most recent Super Bowl wins, fans certainly remember the days when Tony Romo was the Cowboys’ quarterback.
Former Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora recently spoke about his experience playing against Romo and offered high praise for the former Cowboys starting quarterback.
“This is going to come as a surprise to you, and it’s a surprise to many people. Tony Romo was the most difficult quarterback we ever faced. He was No. 1. I rate Romo as the best quarterback we ever played against, and we played against some incredible ones,” Umenyiora said. “We played against the GOAT, Tom Brady, the greatest of all time. We played against Peyton Manning. But for me personally, my level of respect for Tony Romo—having faced him year in and year out—is so high.
“He’s such an underrated football player. People don’t understand the type of headache he was as a player, and they don’t give him enough credit. If he had won a Super Bowl, which he should have, I think things would have been different. But without a shadow of a doubt, he is one of the all-time great NFL quarterbacks, and they need to put a lot more respect on that man’s name.”
Romo finished his career with an 11-10 record against the Giants. Most Giants fans will remember the playoff game against the Cowboys on New York’s way to Super Bowl XLII. The Cowboys, of course, had beaten the Giants twice during the regular season that year and entered that playoff matchup as heavy favorites and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Umenyiora, who won two Super Bowls with Big Blue, sacked Romo twice in his career. Both sacks came on January 1, 2012, in the final game of the season when the Giants defeated the Cowboys to clinch the NFC East division title.
Given the era and the elite quarterbacks Umenyiora faced during his career, his compliment to Romo is not something to take lightly. He and the Giants played against a long list of NFL greats, including Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Ben Roethlisberger.
Umenyiora is a member of the Giants’ Ring of Honor and is one of 17 players who were on the Giants roster for both Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: New York Giants great Osi Umenyiora: Tony Romo was our toughest foe
Reporting by Tyler Henry, Giants Wire / Giants Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
