Tag! Your it!

Who doesn’t remember taking part in the age old game played by children where you chased down someone and tagged them so that they then had to do it to someone else?

This past Wednesday, December 20th, a new kind of “Tag Your It” was introduced in Jonesboro. The difference? Other than the fact that nobody had to even move, this version was not about fun and games but in honor of one of Jackson Parish’s most acclaimed former residents. 

The best part of all was that the one who got “tagged” wasn’t expecting it. More on that below….

To set the stage, Anthony Nicholas “Tag” Rome and family had come to Jonesboro for the dedication of the “fleur de lis” fountain that Tag had provided the funds for as part of beautification of Jonesboro project and in memory of his parents Tony and Marlene Rome.

The dedication of the fountain in their names was well deserved. For decades, Tony and Marlene gave of themselves to the betterment of the residents of Jonesboro and Jackson Parish, young and old alike. 

Whether it was through the pair volunteering their time to the Jackson Parish Recreation Department as a Little League baseball coach and “team mother” for years or opening a very successful men’s wear business in Jonesboro that was a long standing staple of the local business community, the Rome’s made a significant contribution. 

It was something that was important to them as Tag stated during the ceremony that was held on Main Street in front of the many who attended.

“My mom and dad were raised in south Louisiana (Donaldsonville) but when they came here they made Jonesboro their home,” recalled Tag. “My parents loved the people here and the many friends they made. To them there was no better place to live and they wanted to give back. I understand why they felt that way as I feel very fortunate to grow up here.”

Situated at the intersection of Jimmie Davis Blvd and Polk Street in downtown Jonesboro, the fountain sits in the medium adjacent to where Anthony’s Men’s Wear, the business owned and operated by the Rome’s, used to be. 

Before the dedication of the fountain proceedings began, Tag and his brother Chris took the opportunity to tour the old “family business.” Upon entering the memories of childhood days came flooding back.

“I remember my brothers and I running all around here as a kid,” laughed Tag. “It is good to be in here again. Brings back many great memories of growing up here.”

The dedication ceremony began with Jackson Parish Chamber of Commerce Director, Wilda Smith, explaining how Tag was instrumental in getting the fountain and how appreciative she was that even though he now lives in the Shreveport/Bossier area he still remembers his hometown. 

Then Jonesboro Mayor Harris took center stage to drop a bombshell on Tag and family when he read a Proclamation that decreed December 20, 2023 as TAG ROME DAY! (Proclamation shown in entirety as Public Notice in Classifieds section)

“I can’t tell you how much this means to me,” said Tag who appreciated the gesture so much he had to take a moment to corral his emotions. “I wasn’t expecting this. Tp be given this honor on the day that we came here to help keep my mother and father’s legacy alive is very special.”

It is just due that Tag was honored in this way. Just as Marlene and Tony Rome left great examples on how to live, so has Tag.  A look back at his life is a wonderful demonstration of how unwavering determination and drive leads to tremendous success.

Although he was an outstanding football player at Cedar Creek High School in Ruston in the late 1970’s, no colleges offered him a scholarship to play. Undaunted, he walked on at Northeast Louisiana University (NLU), now the University of Louisiana – Monroe (ULM), where he not only would earn a scholarship but become the schools all-time leading receiver upon his graduation and is inducted in the NLU/ULM Hall of Fame. 

This led him to an opportunity to play in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL) for four years, and then a chance to become the the youngest head coach in the collegiate ranks at NLU. 

For many, it would have been a “no-brainer” but demonstrating the character that he had learned from his parents, who believed that nothing was more important than the well being of family, he turned down the offer to coach his alma mater. 

“It was a very hard decision,” Tag said at the time. “I loved football but I loved my family even more and wanted to be the kind of dad my father was. I knew that if I took the offer I would hardly ever be at home.”

Instead Tag turned his focus on succeeding in the business world, becoming a State Farm Insurance Agent in Loanoke, AR. From there he moved to Bossier City, where he now owns and operates three State Farm Agencies and has won multiple awards for being one of the top agents in the United States.

Quite a success story to say the least. Yet if you ask Tag, who at the age of 62 years old is the matriarch of the Rome family,  what he considers his greatest achievement in life is, he will tell you it is giving back to the community and being there as a husband, father and now grandfather. 

The apple of his father and mother’s eye didn’t fall far from the tree. 

Like father, like mother, like son!