CBS NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo has pleaded no contest to a charge of operating while intoxicated and has issued a statement apologizing for the actions that led to his July arrest.<\/p>\n
Romo was arrested<\/a> July 23 after a traffic stop as he was driving south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin. CBS has since placed him on leave<\/a> from his role as its lead NFL analyst.<\/p>\n According to Milwaukee County court records, Romo lost his driving privileges for six months and was ordered to complete an alcohol assessment program. He also owes $834. An interlock device must be installed on any vehicle owned or operated by Romo or registered to his name, and that order will remain in effect for at least one year after he is issued a license.<\/p>\n \u201cThe past month has been difficult, but it has also been personally significant,\u201d Romo said in a statement on Instagram.<\/a> \u201cIt has required me to confront and own my mistakes fully \u2014 to the Lord, to myself, to my family and now to the public.\u201d<\/p>\n Romo said the multiple back surgeries that led to his retirement as a player \u201cleft me with constant, debilitating pain.\u201d He noted that the pain \u201cled to a dependence on pain medication, and my efforts to get off those medications led to an over-reliance on alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNone of this is an excuse,\u201d Romo said. \u201cThese are my failures and I take responsibility for them.\u201d<\/p>\n Romo said he is working with a team of doctors to address his health and \u201cmake the necessary changes.\u201d He thanked his family, friends and the NFL community for their support.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I turn my attention to my health, my family, and, in time, my return to CBS, I kindly ask for privacy during this period,\u201d Romo said.<\/p>\n Romo also initially received citations for possessing open intoxicants in a motor vehicle, unsafe passing on the right and refusal to take a test for intoxication after arrest. Those citations have been dismissed.<\/p>\n CBS Sports President David Berson said last month he doesn\u2019t have a timeline for a decision about Romo\u2019s future with the network.<\/p>\n Romo, 46, has been the lead game analyst for CBS\u2019 NFL coverage since 2017 after making four Pro Bowl appearances during a playing career that ran from 2004-16.<\/p>\n Analyst JJ Watt will join play-by-play announcer Jim Nantz and sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson on CBS\u2019 lead NFL team during Romo\u2019s absence. Their first game will be Sept. 13, when the Minnesota Vikings host the Green Bay Packers.<\/p>\n Citations released<\/a> by the Milwaukee County Sheriff\u2019s Office indicated that Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests and that an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage was found<\/a> in the passenger\u2019s side of his black Jeep during an inventory before it was towed.<\/p>\n Body camera footage showed Romo telling deputies he had been coming from a golf course and was on his way \u201cto visit grandma and grandpa\u201d when he was stopped. A deputy told Romo he suspected him of being impaired because he had \u201cred, glassy eyes\u201d and an \u201codor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage.\u201d<\/p>\n Romo went to high school about 35 miles southwest of Milwaukee in Burlington, Wis.<\/p>\n \t\t\t