DETROIT, MI (WTKR)- Jalyn Holmes and the Commanders touched down in Detroit on Friday ahead of Saturday's playoff match-up with the Lions.
Back in Norfolk, there are plenty of people cheering on Holmes. One of them is Hank Sawyer, the defensive tackle's former coach at Lake Taylor.
Sawyer saw Holmes on a football field before the future national champion at Ohio State was familiar with all the fundamentals of football. More than a decade after Holmes graduated from Lake Taylor, Sawyer is watching his former star make plays on the NFL postseason stage.
"It just means so much," the head coach said. "This is almost surreal, like 'man, you coached that guy? He's playing in the NFL.'"
The head Titan said that Holmes's junior year is when signs of professional football potential started to surface. He played defensive line, tight end and linebacker for Lake Taylor, helping lead the program to its first state title in 2012 and his impact was felt both on and off the field.
"He was a captain, but he wasn't just a captain by name," Sawyer recalled. "He was a captain by his leadership and by his ability to make plays."
The Norfolk native still makes it back to his home town, more frequently now that he plays right up the road in Washington. He does charitable work with his Vaughn's Way foundation, which focuses on men's mental health, and he hosts a youth football camp each year geared towards defensive linemen.
"He had those guys out here for three days," said the head Titan. "He taught them football, he fed them, he brought other college and NFL guys in here and it was awesome."
Holmes is a great resource for Sawyer, not just for his contributions to the program, but also as an example to point to for his current Titans that may want to follow a similar path.
"They didn't realize I coached him, teaching them and coaching them the same way I did Jalyn," he pointed out. "Look at him, he's playing in the NFL over five seasons now."
Having already made a name for himself in Norfolk, Holmes now turns his attention to the postseason spotlight, where legends are made every single year.
"Somebody had asked me what his number was, 96, the other night," Sawyer smiled. "The next play he made a tackle for loss, so I said 'that's him right there.'"
Washington and Detroit kick off Saturday night at 8:00, with the winner advancing to face either the Eagles or Rams next weekend in the NFC Championship game.
