FRISCO, Texas -- At some point Sunday afternoon, the center-hung digital video board at AT&T Stadium will flash a tribute to Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys' all-time leader in passing yards and touchdown passes. At the end, a camera will pan to the television booth.

A year ago, Romo was on the sideline, recovering from a back injury and wondering if he would once again be the Cowboys' starting quarterback. On Sunday, Romo will be back at AT&T Stadium for a football game for the first time as lead analyst for CBS with Jim Nantz to call the game against the Kansas City Chiefs.

It's strange how quickly things change.

On the same day the Cowboys released him, Tony Romo, left, became the lead analyst for CBS alongside Jim Nantz. AP Photo/Morry Gash

"This game waits on nobody, you hear it all the time," said tight end Jason Witten, Romo's teammate for 14 years. "You think you're going to play forever and you never know when that opportunity is going to come. I think for him, to think how he's made a transition for a lot of people would seem hard and difficult, he's created a lot of momentum for himself in the way he's kind of partnering up with Jim and what they're doing on the air. But it does feel like it's been a long time. I'm just proud of him that he found himself in a good place."

Romo was last around the Cowboys at Jerry Jones' Hall of Fame induction in Canton, Ohio, in early August. He called the game with Nantz in a makeshift booth in the end zone that only CBS executives heard as he went through learning his new craft.

Two months into his first season as a broadcaster, Romo has become an internet darling for his work. His ability to call out plays before they happen, predict situations, excitedly call a great play or show his funny side has won Romo praise, even from those who never thought much of his skills as the Cowboys' starter.

"He's a smart guy, that's why it's easy for him," Dez Bryant said. "Him calling these games, that's right up his alley. I think the NFL needed that, a guy in there with that type of experience."

On the same day the Cowboys released him, Romo became the lead analyst for CBS. It was a risky move by the network to hand the lead job to a television rookie. Romo spent the offseason calling mock games with Cowboys' radio legend Brad Sham and others to get a feel for the timing required.

Teammates have been able to listen to him on Thursday night.

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"Football knowledge, the guy's unbelievable," Sean Lee said. "You knew that because that's how he played quarterback. You can see his personality. That's what's exciting. I think everybody is seeing that infectious personality that he has coming out. He's a natural. That's Tony."

In his new role, Romo might have to critique his former teammates and friends.

"I wouldn't have a problem with it because that's his job," Bryant said. "He's going to give it to you from his point of view. There's nothing wrong with that."

The man who replaced him, Dak Prescott, says he expects Romo to be critical if it is required. He just has one wish.

"He's excellent," Prescott said. "I guess you can just look at any of the reviews of who's following him watching his games. Hopefully he doesn't call out and guess too many of our plays. He'll still be very familiar with them. So hopefully he can stay away from that."

Romo helped Prescott during his rookie season, mostly with game situations. Prescott said the knowledge Romo lends the television audience this fall has sounds similar to the advice he gave Prescott last season.

"We'd be on the field and we would have scored on two possessions and he'd tell me something as simple as, 'Hey, expect this defensive coordinator to throw his game plan out the window. He's about to blitz,' or 'He's about to do something completely different this next drive to stop you,' " Prescott said. "Things like that. Then in the locker room, things off the field that may come up that he dealt with because of the experience that only he could help me with."

Romo and Nantz and the rest of the broadcast crew will hold production meetings with Jason Garrett, other coaches and players to get behind-the-scenes answers to help fill them in on the current state of the team.

Given Romo's working knowledge of the Cowboys, there could be more "how-ya-doings" than discussing the running game changes without Ezekiel Elliott.

"He knows football inside and out," Garrett said. "He loves talking about football. He's got a great personality. He is a very charming guy and he has taken it by storm from what I hear. And it will be fun. It will be to be around him. I haven't seen him much. We have been busy. He has been busy. It will be good to see him. I have been very fortunate to be around him. He has made my life way better."