The Dallas Cowboys are heading into their most crucial game of the season with a muddled quarterback situation. Tony Romo is dealing with a back injury that was initially expected to keep him out against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the team is waiting to see how he responds to an injection before making a final decision. In the meantime, Jon Kitna has been signed as insurance behind backup quarterback Kyle Orton.
While the situation remains unclear, one thing we do know is that Kitna will not be making any money for his services. According to the Dallas Morning News, the 41-year-old is donating the $53,000 the Cowboys are paying him to the high school where he has been teaching. Kitna retired after playing for the Cowboys in 2011 and has been teaching math and coaching football ever since.
Kitna said he texted Dallas head coach Jason Garrett when he first heard about Romo’s injury.
“I told Jason if he wants me or somebody to come in and call a play and be able to pull a play off if a bad situation happened, I would be willing to do that,” Kitna said on Christmas Day.
The veteran ran the Cowboys’ scout team offense on Wednesday.
“He said he would run scout team for the high school team and give them a really good look like he gave us great looks when he was here,” Garrett said. “So he’s a very active guy. He’s a mentally tough guy. … And he’s certainly very young at heart. So it was good to have him back, good to have him back in the meetings, and [I’m] excited to see him practice today.”
In an era where it is all about the money for so many professional athletes, it’s nice to see a player who is basically volunteering his time for the love of the game. A tip of the cap to you, Jon Kitna.
