The decision for Justin Duhai was easy.

Have an injured Matt Hasselback start or pick up Tony Romo off waivers and start him on Duhai’s fantasy team?

Duhai, a fifth-year wide receiver for Eastern this season, chose the latter and Romo didn’t disappoint his former teammate with his performance in the Dallas Cowboys’ 35-14 against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday night.

Romo, the former Eastern quarterback who won the 2002 Walter Payton Award as I-AA’s top offensive player, shined in his first NFL start with the Cowboys, throwing for 270 yards and one touchdown.

And Romo did plenty to make his former teammates and coaches proud.

Minus his ridiculous impression of his boyhood idol Brett Favre, Romo made a name for himself – and Eastern Illinois.

The words, ‘Tony Romo, Eastern Illinois’ were said by Romo when the lineups were being introduced during last Sunday’s game on NBC. Just to hear those words should bring goose bumps to anyone that cares about Eastern athletics.

An athlete from Eastern is being recognized on ESPN, NBC and USA Today. He’s walked the same paths to classes that most students have, he’s played on the same field as the current Panther team does. An unassuming guy from Burlington, Wis., is the new “it” man in the United States sports culture.

“What we’re allowed to do, we will do in recruiting to make sure they know Romo is a member of the Dallas Cowboys and he’s starting right now,” said Eastern acting head coach Mark Hutson.

After three years of toiling as the backup for America’s team and having spot-TV time when brought on to hold for kicks, Romo is now center stage, something that his former teammates are well aware of.

“Honestly, I thought ‘don’t blow it Tony,'” said senior tight end Adam Parsill. Parsill played as a true freshman in the 2002 season when Romo was a fifth-year senior.

Parsill caught five passes for 47 yards and three touchdowns while playing with Romo.

“Tony always had a football in his hand,” Parsill said. “He’d always be throwing it around.”

So much so that he wore a hole in his couch’s armrest at his house during his time at Eastern, Parsill said.

“He would just be throwing the football at that thing all day long, non-stop,” he said.

And Romo will and should continue to throw the ball for the Cowboys the rest of the season.

The quick release and accuracy he showed in last Sunday’s game is something Dallas was sorely lacking with Romo’s backup Drew Bledsoe (Imagine that, a former No. 2 overall draft pick now the backup to a quarterback from Eastern Illinois who signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent. Don’t worry. The world hasn’t spun off its axis – yet).

Romo will be tested again this week against the Washington Redskins. But every game that comes from Romo is just another chance for Eastern Illinois to gain national attention.

“The quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys is always the star,” said Eastern defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni, the only coach on the current Panther staff who was here when Romo played. “You can’t have a guy in a better position than that. And hopefully he can be for Eastern Illinois University what Kurt Warner was for (Northern Iowa).”

Warner went on to win a Super Bowl with the St. Louis Rams and led them to another one.

Talk about Romo leading the Cowboys to a Super Bowl championship is premature at this point. But now that Romo’s in the position he’s in, who knows what will happen. And, at least for one week, Duhai knows who his starter is on his fantasy football team.

“Actually, he is unless Hasselback gets healthy,” he said.

Healthy or not, Romo’s made his mark on Eastern and is now letting the rest of the nation see his exploits.

“It’s good for the school,” Parsill said. “It’s good for the community to see a guy . come out of here and do some big things in the NFL.”