Kansas City, Mo. ? Todd Haley was an early and unabashed admirer of Tony Romo, the quarterback his victory-starved Kansas City Chiefs will try to beat today.

When Haley was receivers coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2004-05 and Romo was a relatively unknown young player trying to find his way, the two formed a friendship that also seemed to fuel one another’s competitive spirit.

“He was the epitome of a gym rat,” said Haley. “You couldn’t get him out of the building.”

At the moment, both men have fallen upon tough times. Haley’s Chiefs (0-4) are mired in a horrendous 2-for-29 streak, the worst in franchise history.

Romo’s Cowboys (2-2) are fresh off a close loss to Denver and must right themselves at once to become a factor in the rugged NFC East.

Haley knows Romo will never give up, something he learned back in Dallas during some racquetball games that were not for the faint of heart.

“He and I had a grudge match going every day,” Haley said. “For months we went. We were coming out of there … both of us bleeding.”

When Haley wasn’t fighting Romo on the racquetball court, he was helping him improve.

“It could be the middle of winter and he’d be calling me out on the field and saying, ‘Coach, come look at this. I’m putting my pinkie here instead of here. Come watch me throw this,”‘ he said.

Haley did come watch. And it wasn’t long until the Cowboys staff made the decision — controversial to many people at the time — to turn the offense over to Romo.

Haley prefers not to say how he voted. But he leaves no doubt as to the lofty opinion he still holds of an old racquetball foe who’s 29-14 as a starter while throwing for 11,290 yards and 82 touchdowns.