Tony Romo Is Always Taking Steps: A History of His Looking Forward to the Future

This may sound made-up, but Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo thinks that he and the Cowboys are ready to take the "next step." From The Dallas Morning News:

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I think that’s our approach. For myself, it’s just about how can I improve? How can I get better? Now, can I bring my teammates along with me? How can they improve and get better? Then our football team can take that next step. We’re doing some things that I think will allow us to do that. I’m excited about some of the stuff we got going on. I think we’re going to be an improved football team next year. It’s about time that we go to that next step, and I think our team is going to be ready for that.

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If this quote sounds familiar, it's because it is. Romo says crap like this all the time, and his cliché-filled automated comforters during the second-half of his six-year stint as Cowboys starter are widespread. It makes sense that he's ensuring the future will be brighter, as the Cowboys have had minimal playoff success with Romo at the helm. It's all he has.

So! Here is a look back at some of Romo's finest work—the recycled answers about the future that have sedated Cowboys fans for years.

On a win over the Washington Redskins and the 2009 season:The Dallas Morning News, December 28, 2009:

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"We didn't achieve something that's going to stand the test of time. This is an important step here in the process. But I think our real goals still lay ahead of us."

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On the 2009 season ending in a divisional playoff loss to the Vikings: ESPN, February 1, 2010:

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We took a step this year and we have to keep trying to get better every day. ... The team understands what it means to take another step, and we'll do that this offseason.

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On his relationship with Candice Crawford: E!, February 8, 2010:

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However, friends close to the Dallas power couple fess Tony and Candice really are getting that serious...

"Tony's ready to make the next step," a bud close to the cute quarterback tells us.

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On his development as a player: Play Next Level, September 27, 2010:

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PNL: The process of improvement continues even to this day, doesn’t it?

Tony Romo: No question. You’re always fighting. For me, it’s about improvement now. I’ve learned this lesson a lot in life: that the most enjoyable thing about sports is improving as a team, individually, and organizationally as a whole. I think it’s very enjoyable when your team gets better—and you can see that—and you improve as an athlete. You’re always trying to take that next step. Part of taking that next step is trying something, putting yourself out there. You’re in a big game, in a big situation; you’re gonna be in that. If you’re there, people are going to form opinions about you; people are going to say negative things, but that’s part of the process. And if you know that there’s going to be another day—there’s going to be another year—you’ll be better and you’ll be more prepared next time.

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On how the lockout affected him: 105.3 The Fan, July 19, 2011:

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Did the lockout help you develop as a leader?

I don't know. That's not anything that I can debate or even talk about, really. Anybody who talks about themselves in a leadership quality, in some ways almost minimizes it. From my perspective, you do what you're supposed to do. My job is to lead this football team on the field. In a lockout situation, my job is to get everyone together, make sure they're bought in, have people show up and make sure they're committed to getting better as players in the offseason. It's hard enough to come out there every day when you have coaches out. ... Now take the coaches aside, we're still going to commit to that.

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On becoming a team leader: FOX Sports, October 2, 2011:

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It’s just part of playing. I keep getting better each week that goes by and this week will be no different. ...

It’s just like high school. If you’re a freshman or a sophomore, it’s hard to tell the seniors who’ve been through two, three, playoff games what to do. ... So you have to wait your turn in some capacity, in that once you get your skins on the wall, once you have the experience of being in games, once you’ve had some success, that’s when all that stuff comes together. It just takes time.

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On the Cowboys of the future: Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 13, 2011:

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We’re going to go out here and we’re going to play good football. This team is going to win a Super Bowl at some point. It’s going to be exciting when that time comes. And when we look back, we’ll know who was on what side of the fence during those tough moments. That’s exciting for us as competitors knowing that we get a chance to go out there and have a chance to win.

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Well, I feel confident! When has Romo ever been wrong before?