BILL ROMANOWSKI

BONUS POINT HALL OF FAMER

While with the 49ers, Romanowski was considered an arrogant punk based on insiders' accounts. He once incited teammate Jerry Rice to fight him in practice. San Francisco was glad to let him go after his horrible performance in the 1993 NFC Championship Game loss to Dallas, and he ended up in Philadelphia. As an Eagle, the former Boston College star was fined $4,500 for kicking an opponent in the head.  Since signing with Denver as a free agent on Feb. 23, 1996, his record speaks for itself. He has been fined approximately $70,000 for illegal hits and poor sportsmanship. His wallet took a $20,000 hit after he busted the jaw of Kerry Collins in a 1997 preseason game. Five months later, he was fined $7,500 for launching an infamous loogie at J.J. Stokes on Monday Night Football. Romanowski's defense was that Stokes had insulted him -- though he conveniently left out the fact that he had grabbed the receiver's groin in a dog pile moments earlier. In 1999 alone, the two-time Pro Bowler was fined for a cheap shot on Tony Gonzalez, leading with his helmet on a smack of Fred Taylor and verbally jousting with Bryan Cox. Yet, amazingly, he has never been suspended, which has allowed him to continue racking up more Bonus Points week after week. Lately Romanowski has been branching out into the drug trade. He and his wife were busted for directing a friend to obtain more than 500 appetite suppressant pills -- more than five times the amount that would have been prescribed on a standard diet plan. Romanowski was indicted on four felony counts of using the diet drug Phentermine, which doctors believe helps athletes by speeding up their metabolisms. Julie Romanowski faces eight counts of fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance and conspiracy. An unidentified white player told the grand jury that Romanowski suggested he take the drug because, "It is the only way we can compete with the black guys." The anonymous teammate also said that Romanowski didn't say black guys, but rather used the "N-word."  This revelation caused the Denver Broncos to hold a meeting about whether the team's three-time defensive captain was a bigot. As is usually the case with Bonus Point superstars, they decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Tony Gonzalez once asked Romanowski during a game why he insisted on blatantly breaking the rules. Romanowski's responded that he didn't care about  fines because he could afford to pay them. If that is not a quote from a true BPHoF'er, I don't know what is. UPDATE - August 2003 Two days after Bill Romanowski seriously injured teammate Marcus Williams during a fight in practice, the Oakland Raiders' controversial linebacker was remorseful and apologetic. "I hold myself accountable," Romanowski said of his latest episode of bad behavior. "It was a classless move by me." An apology might not be enough for Williams, whose eye socket was broken in the fight. The reserve tight end was placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Appearing on the Dan Patrick Show on ESPN Radio, Williams' agent Lee Kolligian did not rule out the possibility of Williams pressing charges in the future. Williams' injury puts the Raiders in a position of reaching an injury settlement with him, ESPN.com's John Clayton reports. Williams is scheduled to make a base salary of $300,000. Romanowski, who played for the Denver Broncos for six years until joining the Raiders last year, ripped off Williams' helmet and punched the reserve tight end in the face, breaking his left orbital bone and chipping his tooth. The fight came at the end of a running play during a 9-on-7 drill. Williams, a second-year pro who played mostly on special teams last season, was taken to a local hospital for a series of tests. He saw an eye specialist Monday and was told to rest at home for a week until the swelling goes down, but Williams still has double vision.

 

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