Cowboys vs. 49ers: Dak Prescott, Jimmy Garoppolo & The Double Tony Romo Connection

Romo, who will work the 3:30 p.m. kickoff alongside Jim Nantz, has long-standing connections here.

FRISCO - Yes, Tony Romo is a "Dallas Cowboys guy,'' so much so that one of his three sons' first name is named "Jones.'' But in the upcoming Sunday NFL Playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, the CBS analyst will have ties on both AT&T Stadium sidelines.

The two teams that face off here in this NFC Wild Card matchup have a long-standing and rich rivalry; a top-10 list of all-time games is a doozy. But Romo - who will work the 3:30 p.m. kickoff alongside Jim Nantz - has long-standing connections here, too.

Yes, Romo is a Cowboys lifer. But he's also an Eastern Illinois lifer, a product of the school that also produced another big-time QB who happens to be the guy at the controls for the 49ers offense - Jimmy Garappolo.

It was exactly a year ago when Romo became the first Eastern Illinois player in history to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He finished his college career with 8,212 passing yards and a school- and conference-record 85 touchdown passes.

After that, of course, he became a UDFA in Dallas, going on to play 13 years for the Cowboys, putting up huge passing records - including 34,183 yards and 248 touchdowns - that week by week and year by year are being surpassed by a former Dallas teammate in Dak Prescott.

Romo, like Troy Aikman (who will be working for FOX Sports as its top analyst), has inside of him a Cowboys bias - one they try to fight off when on the air. But more important than that, to the viewer, Romo will offer unique insight into a Cowboys team that still features guys with whom he played and worked alongside ... and he probably will offer unique inside into Jimmy G and the Niners as well.

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