DALLAS – Put it in three-inch headlines: Tony Romo will win a Super Bowl.

At least, that’s what famous guarantee-giving former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson expects to happen.

Johnson, serving as the featured speaker at the PwC-SMU Athletic Forum on Wednesday, said Romo “catches more undeserved abuse” than any NFL player. Johnson acknowledged that was because Romo has remarkable regular-season statistics but only one playoff win, but the two-time Super Bowl champion former coach predicted playoff success was on the horizon for Romo.

“The guy is a great quarterback,” Johnson said, using Eli Manning as an example of how the perception of a quarterback can change immensely after a Super Bowl run. “You’ve got to win the ring to get it done. I think Romo can get it done. I love Tony Romo.”

Romo, who ranks second in NFL history in passer rating, is likely to rewrite the passing chapter of the Cowboys’ record book before he retires.

Romo, 32, already holds the franchise single-season records for passing yards (4,483) and touchdowns (36). He’s likely to break the franchise record for touchdown passes in a career midway this fall, starting the season 16 shy of Aikman’s 165. Romo is about three strong seasons shy of surpassing Aikman’s yardage total (32,942).

But the only important stat that really matters for Cowboys quarterbacks is rings. That count: Aikman 3, Roger Staubach 2, Romo and the rest of the starting quarterbacks in franchise history 0.

Romo had readily acknowledged – even embraced – that quarterbacks are ultimately judged by championships. He addresses the issue again in the new Starter advertisement campaign.

"People focus on what we haven't accomplished," Romo says in the ad. "They focus on mistakes, the near misses, the heartbreaks. People say we haven't succeeded. People say we haven't won a championship. People critique our lives. People say we get too much praise.

“People are focused on what we haven't done. That’s what I’m focused on, too.”

The Cowboys are confident that Romo, who is likely to receive a contract extension by the time training camp opens next summer, can lead them to a title. That’s an opinion shared by Johnson.

“I believe it’s going to happen,” Johnson said. “I do.”