Denbigh Head Football Coach Tommy Reamon chats with VirginiaPreps.com's Matthew Hatfield during their Team Camp in Newport News - which also included Churchland and Lakeland - on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
Reamon spent 34 seasons on the sidelines before taking last year off and is well-known for tutoring his fair share of talented players over the years, including such pros as Michael Vick and Aaron Brooks while on the Peninsula. Though he he has coached at Ferguson High, Warwick and Gloucester among his various stops, his most recent one came for 13 seasons at Landstown High in Virginia Beach.
Now, the commute is not as long, and he's eager to try to turn around a program that was winless a season ago, outscored to the tune of 453-6, and break a losing skid that is at 19 going into this fall.
"I'm from Newport News, born and raised. To help the culture here at Denbigh, I'm excited," relayed Reamon, who has taken on this latest gig thanks to the prodding of Denbigh grad Mike Tomlin.
"I was in Pittsburgh at a funeral for Franco Harris. Mike Tomlin asked me to take the job here at Denbigh and try to change the culture. With that said, and remembering him even in 11th grade and now the Head Football Coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, I took it on and said, 'Why not?' Right now, we are not the same Denbigh. These kids are working hard, being introduced to some new events and learning the game of football."
Reamon has a promising young quarterback to build around with in rising ninth grader Kevin Parker, a multi-sport athlete who showed flashes of big-time potential throughout the camp.
"I'm a history guy. Kevin Parker, in ninth grade, belongs in conversation right now with the Michael Vick's, the Aaron Brooks', Dontrell Leonard's, who's the Head Coach at Churchland, and Tommy Reamon Jr. With those four names bouncing around, I think we're going to teach him," noted Reamon, who heads into the season with 182 career wins. "He's going to be nice."
The senior crop - consisting of just four on the roster at the moment according to Reamon - is not a lengthy one, but a couple will look to get on radar of programs at the next level before their time with the Patriots is done. Offensive tackle Keron Addison (6-0, 280) will anchor the line, while Amari Robinson (5-11, 151) takes on the role of a featured playmaker.
Denbigh opens the 2023 campaign on August 25th in Norfolk against Granby at Powhatan Field.
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