NORFOLK, Va. (WTKR) — No matter how far away he travels from home, Dré Bly always takes a little piece of Hampton Roads with him.
"Even in Detroit, people say I'm country," the Chesapeake native said. "They can hear my southern, 757 swag coming out of me man."
Something the Western Branch product proudly touts as he's honored by the Norfolk Sports Club as they keynote speaker of its 76th Annual Jamboree.
"This is where it all started for me, and I love my hometown," he said. "I'm proud to be part of that fraternity."
The former University of North Carolina standout has had quite the journey over the last several months. After four years coaching with the Tar Heels, Bly moved up to the NFL to coach in with the Lions. He played four seasons for Detroit during an 11-year pro career, tallying 202 tackles, 19 interceptions, and a pair of picks brought back for touchdowns during his time in the Motor City.
"I love to teach and this gives me a chance to teach a little bit more," he said. "I'm excited about it, I'm in a great situation."
A theme has developed during Bly's coaching career. He's found himself going back to places he's been before with the idea of second chances.
DB: I went back to Chapel Hill, we were able to do some great things. Get to an ACC Championship, that was something that we were never able to achieve when I was there or before," he said. "Now I get the chance back to the 'D' and figure out what the reason is for."
That mentality is part of the '757 swag' he told those at the Norfolk Sports Club about. Knowing where you came from and that the path is about much more than the starting line.
"It's how you finish the journey. And I'm so motivated to finish this thing the right way," Bly said. "I am who I am, I claim it to the fullest, and it's always good to come home."
When he's not wearing Lions blue, he'll surely be wearing Old Dominion silver and blue. Bly's son, Jordan, is a wide receiver for the Monarchs. The junior caught 22 passes for 225 yards last season for ODU.
"I was watching my son's games when I was on the road, in between my games. In the locker room, during pregame," Dré said. "I'm excited to see my son play this year, he's motivated."
