Athletes can often be perceived as superhuman figures, achieving a kind of elevated status that makes them seem immune to the all-too-human issues that can affect the masses who tune in to watch them compete.
On Tuesday, Tony Romo – a longtime NFL star and the current top analyst on CBS’ NFL broadcasts – pulled back that veil.
Romo was arrested in July on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in Wisconsin, a moment that stained his image as the aw-shucks, clean-cut football star who has become one of the best on-air personalities in the game. In a statement where he announced he had pleaded no contest to a civil offense for operating while intoxicated, Romo gave a stark look at what life is like after a player leaves the game.
“Multiple back surgeries ended my career earlier than I expected and left me with constant, debilitating pain. That pain led to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol,” Romo wrote in his statement.
That statement gave voice to a story that’s often suffered in silence by former professional athletes: Their playing days left them with pain that sticks around long after the fans have stopped cheering. When few are watching, those athletes face a reckoning over the physical sacrifices they made to chase their dreams.
