Tony Romo’s strange Cowboys story takes a surprising turn as Dan Campbell finally admits what really happened that night

Dan Campbell has confirmed Tony Romo’s story about a strange prank from their Dallas Cowboys days, admitting he really did press a lit cigarette against the quarterback’s hand. Romo recently told Pardon My Take about the night, and Campbell later gave his own version on the St. Brown Podcast. The Detroit Lions coach said Romo was a young rookie, but added that he took some of the pain himself afterward.Dan Campbell confirms Tony Romo’s cigarette prankThe story goes back to 2003, when Campbell joined Dallas after spending his first four NFL seasons with the New York Giants. Romo was an undrafted rookie trying to find his place on the Cowboys, while Campbell was already an experienced tight end and respected player in the locker room.Romo recently remembered that night on Pardon My Take. He said Campbell was smoking when he called him over and suddenly put the cigarette against his hand. Romo recalled asking, “What are you doing?” before Campbell replied, “isn’t that funny?”Campbell has now confirmed that Romo’s memory was accurate. During the St. Brown Podcast, Amon-Ra St. Brown asked his Lions coach about the story, and Campbell did not try to deny it.“It’s a true story,” Campbell said. “Romo was a pup. I got there in 2003. He was a rookie free agent. And everybody liked Romo. I liked Romo. And so Romo went, ‘Hey man, where are you guys going tonight? What are you doing?’ And we go out one night. He’s over there talking to somebody. I don’t know what. So I’m like, ‘Hey, come here! I got something for you. And I put it (cigarette) out. I didn’t put it out. I put it on him. Just don’t ask me why. So, I gave him a little singe.’”Dan Campbell says Tony Romo did not tell the whole storyCampbell then added another detail that Romo had left out. He said he tried to make up for the prank by putting the cigarette out on his own hand too.“Just to make him feel better, he didn’t mention that I put it out in the palm of my hand after I did that,” Campbell added. “So, it’s not like he’s paying. I’m paying, too, alright. Now, he didn’t want to pay. He shouldn’t have had to pay.”The story has apparently been around for years. Dallas sportswriter Bob Sturm had previously discussed the incident with Campbell on his radio show. Campbell jokingly denied it then, saying, “He is talking about Dan Camel. Not Dan Campbell.”This time, Campbell openly admitted it and said it was not the only time he had pulled that kind of prank. When St. Brown asked if he had done it to other people, Campbell replied, “I’ve done that a couple of times.”Romo eventually became one of the Cowboys’ best quarterbacks of his era after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent. Campbell later moved into NFL coaching and became the Lions’ head coach.For Romo, the old story is now a funny memory from his first NFL years, too, after all.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.