If you want to hear any juicy stuff from Tony Romo about the advice he received from Tiger Woods last week during their round of golf together or about departed Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens, you're not going to get too far.

Woods' words of wisdom were for Romo's ears only. As for the ever-controversial Owens, Romo is staying away from that one.

Where Romo will be doing plenty of talking and teaching is at his annual football camp Tuesday and Wednesday at his alma mater, Burlington High School. As Romo evolved from a free agent to a celebrity Pro Bowl quarterback, attendance at the camp has spiraled and this year will be no different.

"It's exciting," the 29-year-old Romo said. "Each year, it has continued to grow and each year I've gotten better at understanding how to coach up the kids better and better each year.

"I think (Burlington football coach) Hans Block does a great job of putting the kids in the best position to learn and get better throughout the week. It's just a great experience for some of the young guys to get taught some of the things that they may not learn until they're older. When they learn it at a younger age, it only allows you to enhance your skills at a faster pace."

Romo may be at his best this year as a teacher since he has been energized by a productive offseason of work with the Cowboys. While Romo declined to specifically address Owens, a lightning rod for controversy who signed with the Buffalo Bills after being released by the Cowboys in March, he did appear pleased with the direction of his team.

Following a 13-3 season in 2007, the Cowboys slipped to a 9-7 record and were denied a berth in the playoffs after a 44-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in their final game. The Cowboys entered December with an 8-4 record, but then lost three of their last four games.

From the ashes of last season's disastrous December, a strong foundation is being built.

"It's been very football heavy this offseason," Romo said. "We had a lot of OTA's (Organized Team Activities) and a lot of minicamps, the most since I've been here. The guys have worked their butts off and we've tried to put ourselves in position to be successful by doing everything we can this offseason.

"Since I've been playing in the NFL, this has been the best offseason to date and that excites you as a quarterback. In that regard, it's been real enjoyable."

But how will the Cowboys replace Owens? He might have brought unwanted baggage to each of his NFL stops, but the fact remains he caught 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

"Obviously, he's a very talented receiver and was very productive in the years we had together," Romo said. "But I think Roy Williams (whom was acquired from the Detroit Lions last season) had a great offseason and so did the young guys.

"It's going to be real interesting to see who steps up and takes over some of the things we may have lost with 81 (Owens)."

One thing Romo is determined not to lose is the humble nature that was instilled in him by his father, Ramiro. Romo made headlines a couple times last year for his benevolence - for pulling over to help a married couple change a flat tire and for treating a homeless man to a movie.

His commitment to helping others continued during the offseason, with the most recent example coming last week when he took 10-year-old leukemia patient Ben Grant to a New York Yankees game. The boys' dream, made possible through the Starlight Foundation, was to meet Romo along with some Yankees players.

When asked about the experience, Romo was initially hesitant, saying, "I don't want it to look like I'm all goody-goody."

But then he offered to share what a meaningful experience it was to bring some happiness to this boy.

"He's in a troublesome spot and any time you can give back … some of us have been put in position to give back. For me, it just brings joy when you see someone smile. To see someone have a little bit of happiness in some way makes me smile.

"When you see a smile on a kid's face who's going through a tough time, it makes you feel good. The older you get, you definitely realize that you need to give back and that's an important side of being in a position where people look up to you in some way."