NEWPORT NEWS, VA (WTKR)- Legendary area football coach Tommy Reamon has put his stamp on the sport in the 757. Now he's ready for his next chapter on the gridiron, thanks in part to the urging of another famous football face from Hampton Roads.
Reamon was named the new head coach at Denbigh High School last week. Just days into his tenure, he's off and running and crediting a Patriot alumnus with helping to get him back on the sidelines.
"When Mike Tomlin decided 'hey, would you consider taking this job?,' I decided to do that," Reamon said.
Tomlin is a 1990 graduate of Denbigh and has been the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2011. Reamon remembers when Tomlin attended one of his football camps during his high school days. Both coaches are passionate about their home towns and helping to pave the way for its youth.
"We come from the same cloth," Reamon said of he and Tomlin. "We know where some people are who we care about and some of these nephews and uncles and people that are still in the neighborhood and then they want success for their children. He finds himself being involved. He can't come home all the time. I'm part of the history and so he pretty much talked to about doing what I've always done- look after my home area."
Reamon takes over a Patriots program that will enter 2023 on a 19 game losing streak and has lost 55 of its last 57 games. He'll look to return a winning culture to the school where he believes plenty of talent walks the hallways.
"We're going to walk in with all the energy and the relationship bonding that we can get," he said. "We want to throw it right at these kids and say 'hey, come dream. Dream that you can do better, work ethic, get some scholarships to colleges, find a means to make a purpose for each child."
The history of Reamon's success is well-documented. He's coached at Ferguson, Warwick and Gloucester on the Peninsula and spent 13 years as the head coach at Landstown in Virginia Beach. His City On My Chest organization has worked to give area student-athletes numerous opportunities to showcase their skills in front of colleges, most recently the Peninsula All-Star Football Game this past November. Reamon coached NFL quarterbacks Michael Vick and Aaron Brooks and continues to put a lot of effort into improving the lives of young people where he grew up. Now it's Denbigh's turn.
"The kids that go to Denbigh, they talk about going to other schools because Denbigh's no good. Oh no. It's your house, it's your home, it's about believing that you can do well," Reamon pointed out. "Some of the kids that I've already seen say 'yeah, I've heard about you,' and I say 'well then listen to me. Follow my lead.'"
