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In the ACMs luxury suites: Well-dressed Tony Romo warms up for clutch pass

While Tony Romo could throw a pass in his sleep at AT&T Stadium, throwing one in cocktail attire is another proposition. One of the highlights of Sunday’s Academy of Country Music Awards was the Cowboys quarterback making a toss from the stage to country star Luke Bryan on the field.

Romo was accompanied by Jerry Jones’  one-man palace guard Rich Dalrymple when he realized the challenge.

“I've never thrown a football in a sport coat in front of 70,000 people,” he said.

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Under the stage, Romo made Dalrymple go long. (Well, he made him go way down the hallway.) Rich is no Dez, but Dalrymple managed to reel in Romo’s indoor bombs.

Onstage, under the lights, Romo had to throw 30 yards at a downward angle to Bryan. The smart money was betting he would be high and long. But nope, he hit Bryan right on the numbers.

Sofia Vergara (left) and Reese Witherspoon on the red carpet before the 2015 Academy of...
Sofia Vergara (left) and Reese Witherspoon on the red carpet before the 2015 Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday, April 19, 2015 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Ashley Landis / Staff Photographer)

But, it’s Sofía Vergara

Romo almost didn’t make it out of the green room. When Dalrymple came to get him, Romo was talking to actresses Reese Witherspoon and Sofía Vergara.

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As he was pulled off for his time onstage, Romo joked, “You didn’t have to pull me out of there so quickly. I don’t go on until 7:37.”

After his big completion, Romo was back up in Jerry Jones’ mega suite with his wife, Candice, and Jerry’s crowd of heavy hitters

If you carry the ACM Awards on your network, you get one of the best seats. CBS president Les Moonves was up front in the Jones suite with his wife, Julie Chen. It was old hat for the couple, who attended last year when CBS broadcast the Final Four from the same spot.

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Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett, tight end Jason Witten and tackle Doug Free were also present.

Garth Brooks raises his Milestone Award in the air during the 2015 Academy of Country Music...
Garth Brooks raises his Milestone Award in the air during the 2015 Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday, April 19, 2015 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. (Andy Jacobsohn / Staff Photographer)

The Garth seal

Locals will recall years ago when Garth Brooks sold out three nights in a row at Texas Stadium. He knows a thing or two about playing a big room. And he is ... well, he’s particular about the sound.

During his afternoon sound check, he was thrilled with the results of the ACMs’ high-dollar system. (On the floor, a speaker was mounted under every third seat.)

Afterward, he walked offstage and told Jerry Jones and ACM CEO Bob Romeo, “I’ve never seen a setup like this in a stadium. This is the most amazing set and sound.”