BODYCAM VIDEO: Former Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo performs sobriety tests following traffic stop
Published 1:02 pm Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Body camera footage has been released showing former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo performing field sobriety tests following a traffic stop in Wisconsin last week.
The video was released after multiple media outlets, including our news partners at CBS19, obtained the footage. To watch the video, visit https://tinyurl.com/romoarrest .
Romo was detained Thursday on suspicion of operating while intoxicated (OWI) and later arrested on the charge, according to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. The deputy who pulled Romo over said he deviated from the lane with “unsafe passing” and “cutting across the marked area” or white line while driving on Interstate 43 just after 6 p.m.
Romo, who lives in Dallas, told the deputy he was in town visiting “Grandma and Grandpa” and was coming from a golf course. An avid golfer, Romo had just completed playing in the 125th Wisconsin State Amateur Championship, which took place July 20-23 at the West Bend Country Club in West Bend, Wisconsin. He was also expected to play in the Texas State Open happening this week at The Cascades Golf & Country Club in Tyler, but he later withdrew from the tournament after his arrest. He has competed in the last seven State Opens in Tyler and nine overall.
When asked, Romo told the deputy he had consumed “zero” drinks. The deputy then said she wanted to conduct field sobriety tests, and Romo said he wanted to call his lawyer first. The deputy continued to ask Romo to step out of the vehicle, to which Romo asked multiple times if he could call his lawyer first. When he was told he was not allowed to call his lawyer and learned he was under investigation for an OWI, he got out of his Jeep and complied with the deputy’s demands. He appeared to record a portion of the interaction on his cell phone.
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The traffic stop was conducted on a busy highway with an unlevel shoulder surface that didn’t have ample room for the field tests, so Romo was handcuffed, patted down for weapons, and taken to the inside of a parking garage at a nearby police station where the surface was flat, according to the footage.
Assisted by other law enforcement officers who were present, the deputy then initiated multiple field sobriety tests for Romo. The deputy also cited “red, glassy eyes” and an alcoholic odor from Romo’s breath, according to the footage. Deputies located “a few shooters” in Romo’s bag. “Any of them drank?” Romo asked the deputies, who did not respond to his question and directed him to begin the tests.
Romo performed the tests, asking questions along the way. The deputy asked him to follow the tip of her pen as she moved it back and forth and up and down. Romo also was asked to stand on one leg and walk in a straight line.
Romo, a former NFL player and current CBS sports color analyst, said during the tests that he has had two back surgeries, previous concussions/head injuries throughout his years in sports although none recently, and mentioned physical therapy. He did some stretches before the tests began after sitting in the back seat of a police SUV, which was a tight squeeze for 6-foot-2 Romo.
He did not consent to a preliminary breath test on site, stating multiple lawyers have told him over the years to never do that.
Romo performed “poorly” on the field tests, according to an arrest report. He was then taken into custody and booked into county jail after 9 p.m. and subsequently released.
A first-offense OWI is generally a civil offense, not a criminal charge, in Wisconsin, with a citation typically carrying a fine between $150 to $300.
A court hearing for Romo, a Wisconsin native, is scheduled for Sept. 21.
Romo graduated from Burlington High School in Burlington, Wisconsin, some 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee. He was the first Burlington student-athlete to be named all-state in three sports: football, basketball and golf. His high school football team, the Burlington Demons, plays on a field that was named Tony Romo Field in 2020.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2003 out of Eastern Illinois, Romo spent the next 14 seasons with the Cowboys. He became their starting quarterback in 2006 and led Dallas to five playoff appearances. A four-time Pro Bowler, he holds a 78-49 record in 156 regular-season games (127 starts). He had a career 65.3% completion rate, amassing 34,183 yards with 248 touchdowns and 117 interceptions.
Romo has been the lead NFL game analyst at CBS since 2017, paired with Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson to cover games.
In last week’s state am tournament, Romo shot 35-over par for the tournament and 11-over par on Thursday, according to the tournament website’s leaderboard. He tied for 73rd.