Tate Romney Almost Gave Up Football Following Serious Injury, Why He Stuck with It and Chose to End Career at OSU

STILLWATER — There was a time when everything seemed to go his way on the football field, but when linebacker Tate Romney broke his arm during one of the final fall camp practices in 2024, the then-redshirt sophomore seriously considered hanging up his cleats for good.

“I mean, it was frustrating,” Romney said. “And I had the hopes to make it back for about halfway through the season, which I did, and then ended up injuring my ankle the first play I was in that game.”

As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Romney’s first season playing meaningful snaps, the Arizona State transfer finished fourth in tackles with 52 and seventh overall on the defense with 543 snaps played, making him first among Sun Devil linebackers.

He played only 30 defensive snaps in 2024 while watching his teammates win the Big 12. It was during this time that the linebacker questioned his future on the football field. With some encouragement from his family, he stuck with and played 101 snaps on defense last season.

“Tasting it again last year, I forgot how fun it was, just forgot how much I enjoyed football,” Romney said. “And being able to do that made me want to go somewhere where I can be an every-down guy and really make an impact.”

Although Romney hasn’t been an every-down guy for awhile, he has proven himself in that role previously. Linebackers coach Reggie Johnson mentioned Romney’s 2023 tape as one reason the Cowboy coaches believed in him.

“Instinctive, he’s an instinctive kid,” Johnson said explaining why OSU went after Romney. “His football IQ is off the charts. He moves and runs well. I mean, the kid is a good football player. So we had an opportunity to get him here on campus and sell him on the vision of competing to be a guy or one of the guys. And we’re glad that he’s here.”

Although it’s still early in spring, Romney might be a front runner to play alongside North Texas transfer Ethan Wesloski as the two led linebackers through drills during practice on Tuesday afternoon.

His position coach also singled out Romney’s maturity, which might be the least surprising thing about him considering he graduated high school in 2020 but delayed his start at BYU for two years. Then there’s his wife, Taylor Romney, his nearly 1-year-old son and a new baby girl on the way this fall to keep him grounded.

“I mean, it’s everything,” Romney said. “I mean, they’re my foundation. They’re a lot of the reason that I play, that I’ve continued this football journey as well. But just to be able to go home to them, means everything. You know, they complete me.”

When asked what it would mean to emerge as starter for the Cowboys this fall, Romney didn’t hold back.

“It would mean everything,” he said. “I mean, this is really my last shot at the NFL. And this is, you know, everything I’ve worked for in my life. You know, I’ve played football for years and years, put in hours and hours of lifting, running, practicing, and, one just being able to play and have fun. It’s a lot of hard work, and hopefully you pay off with being on the field. That, and then, just like I said, having a shot at the NFL, being able to prove that I can play at the next level.”

For his part, it sounded like Romney couldn’t imagine a better place to spend his final year.

“It felt like home, and that was, you know, Stillwater itself and all the people,” Romney said. “But thanks to the coaches as well, just being around and talking to them, I knew it was coaches that I wanted to play for. That they would give me my best shot to make it to the next level and also to help me develop as a person, and as a player.”