I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around the image of former Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski as a sympathetic figure.

Romanowski was on the witness stand Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court, reportedly choking up, tears in his eyes.

Tears welled as he talked about his Jekyll and Hyde life — part “family man”, part “warrior” — and his hardscrabble childhood.

Boo hoo. Excuse me while I gag.

I’m usually a sucker for tears. In this case, I’m going to save my sympathy for former Raiders tight end Marcus Williams, the man suing Romanowski in civil court for $3.8 million.

It was Romanowski who punched Williams — his Raiders teammate — during practice one August day in 2003.

It was Romanowski who fractured Williams’ left eye socket, turning his face into a bloody mess, ending his season and, it appears, his NFL career and dreams.

Romanowski a sympathetic figure? Nice try.

I wonder how much sympathy former 49ers wide receiver J.J. Stokes has for Romanowski.

While playing for the Denver Broncos in a Monday night game in 1997, Romanowski spit in Stokes’ face — after grabbing his groin at the bottom of a pile. The NFL fined him $7,500.

Once Romanowski realized the furor he had ignited in a prime-time game and realized that some of his teammates considered his actions racist — Stokes is an African-American — Romanowski went into full mea culpa mode.

“What I did was totally inexcusable,” Romanowski said at the time. “Sometimes when emotion is high, logic is low, and I did something that is totally unacceptable.

“What I did was dead wrong, and I’m sorry for it, and it’s never going to happen again.”

I doubt that Raiders quarterback Kerry Collins is shedding any tears over Romanowski’s legal plight. Romanowski broke Collins’ jaw in a 1997 exhibition game with a cheap shot, drawing a $20,000 fine. An exhibition game!

Two days after punching Williams, Romanowski faced the media and apologized for his actions. More questionable contrition.

“I hold myself accountable,” Romanowski said that day at team headquarters in Alameda.

I’m not a legal expert, but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, and I have watched Judge Judy dole out justice.

Common sense tells you Romanowski should pay for his actions.

Romanowski testified that he retaliated after Williams pushed him in the back. A push in the back during practice does not justify caving in a teammate’s face. It makes no sense.

Of course, Romanowski has had repeated lapses in judgment throughout his career. The first clue of brewing trouble came during a 49ers training camp practice in Rocklin in the 1980s when he leveled wide receiver Jerry Rice during a supposed noncontact drill.

What player in his right mind cheap-shots his own team’s Super Bowl ticket, arguably the best receiver in NFL history?

Then there’s Williams. No, he wasn’t headed for a Hall of Fame career. He was a backup and a special teams player. But he had played one season with the Raiders — his dream job — and had a chance for more seasons in a league that now pays a minimum annual salary of $455,000.

Williams deserves our sympathy and a huge check from Romanowski, who should pay for this mistake.