VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Tommy Reamon has been the kind off high school football coach in that if you learned just football from him, you've missed the point. He's been a head coach going back to 1988. After 34 years, the last 13 at Landstown High School, he's stepping down from coaching, but not retiring with 167 career wins. "There are some other things I'd like to do", he explained. "They are all similar. I just would like for time to maybe spend not locked in to somewhat of a building, but that building could be movement."
Reamon's head coaching stops also included old Ferguson High, then Warwick, Gloucester and then finishing up this past season with the Eagles. Most high school head coaches are lucky if they get one quarterback in their career that happens to wind up in the NFL. Reamon can say he's had two that became starters and played against each other over several seasons.
Aaron Brooks (Ferguson) started out with Green Bay, but his best times came with the New Orleans Saints and wrapped up with the Raiders in 2006. He finished with 20,261 passing yards. Later Michael Vick (Warwick) became number one overall pick in the draft in 2001. He would go on to be a 4-time Pro Bowler in 14 years.
Reamon now enters another chapter of his life. He'll be forming the "City On My Chest Academy" with his son, Tommy, Jr. who's owner of the same name as a clothing line base in Newport News. Vick along with Hampton native and current Houston Texans signal caller, Tyrod Taylor will be among those helping with the program that will act as a conduit for area high school football and basketball players with colleges and universities. Reamon added, "We will be then communicating with other coaches, players or colleges and will get a chance to help in the recruiting process for our kids especially with the coaches from other schools high school that I know that need assistance with their kids".
Granted Reamon is still teaching, but he says there will be times he will miss other aspects of being a head coach. "I'm going to miss the relationship with the kids. I mean you can say that's the first thing, but that is what it's about. I am a kid's person and so with that said football don't have anything to do with it. It's just the relationships".