With all due respect to Disney's Hercules, the biggest zero to hero story in recent NFL memory belongs to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. From undrafted rookie to signal caller for America's Team, he's come out of nowhere to take collectors and fans by storm.
Plagued by sub-par QB play since the retirement of Troy Aikman, the Cowboys turned to a number of different men to try to solve the problem. Quincy Carter was the starter when Romo joined the team in 2003 after winning numerous awards at Eastern Illinois, and even though Carter was soon released, it took several more unsuccessful experiments before Romo would see the field.
His chance came early in 2006, when he entered a game against the Houston Texans in relief of Drew Bledsoe. Romo threw his first touchdown pass in that contest, tossed a few more against the Giants a few weeks later and earned the starting job before the end of October. He ended the 2006 season with a 95.1 passer rating and led the Cowboys to the playoffs, though the most lasting memory of his first brush with the postseason will always be his botched hold on a field goal attempt that cost Dallas its game against Seattle.
Fortunately for the Cowboys faithful, Romo showed no ill effects from that play, starting the 2007 on an absolute tear. His uncanny knack for avoiding pass rushers and keeping plays alive while scrambling brings a whole new dimension to the Dallas offense, making it look like Romo will be the man in charge of leading the NFL's most popular team for a long time to come.
Add to that his affable personality and his high profile off the field - he's been linked to country star Carrie Underwood - and you've got a recipe for hobby gold. Romo's 18 rookie cards from the 2003 season are a pretty large number for an undrafted player, and he even has autographed issues like his Playoff Contenders # 156 and his SP Authentic # 217. Those will almost certainly remain his most expensive first-year cards, but all of them could be headed for higher values if he continues to add more chapters to his surprising success story.
Tony Romo 2003 Rookie Cards
- Bowman # 171
- Bowman Chrome # 144
- Fleer Focus # 135
- Fleer Tradition # 299
- Leaf Limited # 123 - #'d to 750
- Leaf Rookies and Stars # 205 - #'d to 750
- Playoff Contenders # 156 - autographed, #'d to 999
- Playoff Honors # 107 - #'d to 550
- SP Authentic # 217 - autographed, #'d to 1200
- SP Game Used # 180 - #'d to 600
- SP Signature # 106 - #'d to 750
- SPx # 114 - #'d to 1500
- Sweet Spot # 143 - #'d to 675
- Ultimate Collection # 58 - #'d to 750
- Ultra # 182
- Upper Deck # 256
- Upper Deck Finite # 233 - #'d to 999
- Upper Deck MVP # 341