Tony Romo may have left his playing days behind in 2017, but the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback has remained a familiar face in football through his work as an NFL commentator.
Away from the broadcast booth, Romo has also built a family life with Candice Crawford, a former sports journalist, entrepreneur and pageant winner.
The couple first met when Candice was working around the Dallas Cowboys as a young sports reporter. Their relationship eventually turned into marriage, and today they are parents to three sons.
Candice has also created a career of her own. From television reporting and pageants to starting a business with her longtime friend, her life has included plenty of projects outside her famous marriage.
Who Is Tony Romo’s Wife?
Tony Romo is married to Candice Crawford Romo.
Candice was born in Texas and studied journalism at the University of Missouri. While she was in college, she gained hands-on experience in television, working as a reporter and sports anchor for KOMU-TV.
She also interned at KTVT, the Dallas CBS affiliate, where she covered the Cowboys.
That experience was especially notable because she would eventually meet the man who was then one of the team’s biggest stars.
After finishing college, Candice continued working in Dallas television. She covered high school sports for CW33 and also hosted segments focused on local entertainment and sports.
Her professional background meant that she understood the demands of the sports world long before she became Tony Romo’s wife.
How Tony Romo and Candice Crawford Met
Tony and Candice met in 2009 when Candice was working as an intern connected to the Dallas Cowboys.
Their relationship began while Candice was still relatively young and building her journalism career.
When Tony eventually asked her out, Candice had an amusing concern. Her parents were huge Cowboys fans, and she was worried about how they would react when the famous quarterback came to pick her up.
According to her brother Chace Crawford, Candice actually made her parents hide in the bathroom.
It is a funny family story that has remained connected to the couple’s early relationship. Instead of having an awkward introduction with her very excited parents, Candice wanted to avoid the situation altogether.
The story also shows just how big a deal Tony was to the Crawford family. They were longtime Cowboys supporters, so having the team’s quarterback suddenly become part of their family was something they never expected.
Chace Crawford Is Candice’s Famous Brother
Candice’s family has another well-known name.
Her older brother is actor Chace Crawford, who became widely recognized for playing Nate Archibald on Gossip Girl. He later appeared in The Boys.
Despite Chace having his own celebrity career, the family remained passionate Cowboys fans.
Chace has spoken about growing up in Dallas and being a serious supporter of the team. He once recalled that becoming friends with Tony was surreal because of how much the Cowboys meant to his family.
Once Tony became part of the family, watching Cowboys games naturally became a little more stressful.
Instead of simply cheering for the quarterback, Chace and the rest of the family were now watching someone they knew personally take the field.
Tony Romo Proposed on Candice’s Birthday
Tony proposed to Candice in 2010 on her 24th birthday.
The engagement came about a year after the couple began dating, and it marked the beginning of their plans for marriage.
They eventually married on May 28, 2011.
Their wedding took place at Arlington Hall, a historic mansion in Dallas. Around 600 guests attended the celebration, including several current and former Cowboys players.
Some of the notable football names connected to the wedding included Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Dez Bryant and Miles Austin. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was also there after receiving special permission to attend during the NFL lockout.
The wedding combined Candice and Tony’s personal relationship with the football world that had been such an important part of both their lives.
Candice and Tony Are Parents to Three Sons
Tony and Candice have three children together, all boys.
Their sons are Hawkins, Rivers and Jones McCoy.
Candice has spoken about enjoying life as a mother of three boys. Although she admitted that having a daughter would have been a different experience, she said she loved being a boy mom.
Life in their household appears to be active.
From playing basketball to sword fighting and other activities, Candice has described the boys as keeping her constantly on the move.
For a former athlete and sports broadcaster like Tony, raising three sons also means there is plenty of opportunity for sports and outdoor activities to become part of everyday family life.
Tony has also spoken highly of Candice as a wife and mother. He has credited her understanding of the demands of an athletic career as an important part of their relationship.
Candice Crawford’s Journalism Career
Before becoming known primarily as Tony Romo’s wife, Candice had already developed a career in journalism.
At the University of Missouri, she studied broadcast journalism and worked for KOMU-TV.
She also spent time covering sports, which gave her valuable experience in front of the camera.
After college, she worked for CW33 in Dallas and covered high school sports. Her television work included both sports and entertainment segments.
She also hosted a Dallas Cowboys weekend sports program called Special Edition.
Her background makes the relationship with Tony particularly interesting because she was familiar with the world of professional sports from her own career.
She understood the travel, media attention and unpredictable schedule that often come with professional athletics.
Candice Was Miss Missouri USA
Candice also has a pageant background.
In 2008, she was crowned Miss Missouri USA while she was still a college student.
Her experience as a broadcast journalism student helped prepare her for the pageant, particularly when it came to interviews and speaking confidently in front of an audience.
Candice later explained that her television reporting had given her useful practice for the competition.
The pageant title became another chapter in a career that had already included television journalism and sports reporting.
Candice Became an Entrepreneur
Candice added another role to her resume when she co-founded Hawk+Sloane in 2016 with her middle school best friend, Hollie Siglin.
The company was named after the founders’ sons and focused on essential oil sprays designed around common parenting challenges.
Products included sprays aimed at dealing with diaper odors, bedtime struggles and children’s fears.
For Candice, the business offered a way to combine entrepreneurship with motherhood.
She explained that one advantage of running the company was being able to work around her children’s schedules. Working alongside her longtime friend also made the business feel more personal.
Tony and Candice Have Worked Together
The couple have also appeared together professionally.
In 2021, Tony and Candice starred in a Super Bowl commercial for Skechers.
The advertisement played with their family dynamic and showed the pair handling different parts of their busy household.
Candice also shared a behind-the-scenes blooper reel from the commercial, giving fans a lighter look at their relationship.
Their ability to joke around together has become part of their public image over the years.
Tony Romo and Candice Crawford’s Life Today
Tony Romo and Candice Crawford have now been married for more than a decade.
Their relationship began around the Dallas Cowboys, but their lives have developed far beyond football.
Tony has successfully moved from being an NFL quarterback to becoming one of the best-known football commentators, while Candice has built experience in journalism, television, pageants, business and motherhood.
Together, they are raising three sons while managing careers and family responsibilities.
Tony has repeatedly spoken about how fortunate he feels to have Candice beside him. He has credited her support and willingness to understand the demands of his career as important parts of his journey.
For Candice, life has been about much more than being the wife of a former NFL star. She has developed her own professional identity while remaining deeply involved in family life.
From a first date that reportedly involved hiding her Cowboys-loving parents in a bathroom to a wedding attended by hundreds of Dallas football figures, Tony Romo and Candice Crawford’s relationship has had plenty of memorable moments.
More than a decade into their marriage, the couple continue to balance family, work and life in the public eye while raising their three sons together.