Book Review ~ Romo: My Life on the Edge- Living Dreams and Slaying Dragons

       

Let me start of by saying that this review is long overdue. I first read Romo, two years ago. It was a book given to me by my older brother for one of my birthdays. For those of you who don't know who "Romo" is, I will explain. Bill Romanowski was an NFL player for 16 years, he played for numerous teams including the 49ers, Eagles, Broncos and Raiders. His NFL career intrigued me because of the fact that he played so long, the average length of an NFL career is 3.52 seasons. I desperately wanted to know the secret to quadrupling that average number of seasons played. The first thing that I learned from this book is, that there is no shortcut to success. In the first chapters, Romo talks about his family having arguments due to their lack of money. He proceeds to talk about his desire to go to college for free, and his search for how he was going to do it. After reading an article on  Herschel Walker, Romo found the answer. Pushups, Sit-ups and sprints were integral for Romo; eventually leading up to a  Division 1 College Football Scholarship to play for Boston College University. 

One common theme throughout the book was the passion that Romo displayed on an everyday basis. While his college teammates were out partying and drinking, Romo was lifting, reading, or eating healthy. Romo never drank during his time in college and it paid off; Romo was selected in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft. Among the many lessons that this book offers, there are 3 that stick out to me.

1. Do not be complacent - Throughout his life, Romo can be described as someone who never stops trying to improve, whether it be tackling form or becoming a better parent; Romo always searches for experts and tries to learn.
2. Talk to the Experts - In his life, Romo always tries to contact the most elite in their respective fields. Romo works with the best in various fields, such as:  Football, Nutrition, Massage, Stretching and Recovery.
3. Stick to your values/goals - Perhaps, the most important lesson one can take from this book is the idea of sticking to your values and goals . Romo faced many pressures from his peers, and, unfortunately, many of those pressures were negative. When his peers told him to go out with them, Romo declined and instead would make sure to get in 8 hours of sleep. Why did he do that? He does this because the voice in the back of his mind says, " Will going out with them help you achieve your goals?"  

If we all use this same reasoning then I believe reaching our goals will not be as daunting a task.

Thanks for reading. JG