Tommy Reamon

Thomas Waverly "Tommy" Reamon (born March 12, 1952) is a retired African-American professional football player, who has worked as an actor, and is currently an educator in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. As a high school football coach, Reamon has had some notable success in developing talent to become collegiate and professional football players among his students.

Collegiate, professional football
Reamon came out of the George Washington Carver High School, Newport News, Virginia, class of 1970, and went on to be a running back at the University of Missouri. He was drafted in 1974 by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, and by the Florida Blazers in the World Football League's College Draft. Reamon was selected in round 23 by the Blazers. Reamon went on to stardom in the World Football League, and was named one of the league's Tri- MVP's in 1974 as a member of the Blazers. He help lead Florida to the first and only World Bowl game coming up short against the Birmingham Americans 22-21. A year later, he joined the Jacksonville Express of the WFL. After the WFL folded in 1975, Reamon joined the Pittsburgh Steelers. He scored a touchdown for the Steelers in the last game ever played between the NFL Super Bowl Champions and College All-Stars. During the 1976 pre-season the Steelers traded Reamon to the Kansas City Chiefs. Tommy Reamon holds the WFL records for most rushing yards in a game (189), Season (1576) and in the World Bowl (83). He gained a total of 450 yards from scrimmage and scored five touchdowns in 1976 for the Kansas City Chiefs. Reamon would go on to play for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the CFL in 1977 after a failed try out for the Chicago Bears who were coached by former Blazers Head Coach Jack Pardee. While with the Bears during the 1977 pre-season, Reamon played in the NFC-AFC Hall of Fame game against the New York Jets. After the 1977 CFL season, he had a tryout for the Washington Redskins in 1978 and again played under his former WFL Florida Blazers Head Coach, Jack Pardee. Although Reamon was the leading rusher during the 1978 pre-season the Redskins cut Tommy Reamon.

Acting
Reamon went into acting after his football career ended, playing the role of Delma Huddle in the 1979 movie North Dallas Forty, and appeared in several episodes of the TV series Charlie's Angels between 1978 and 1982. He also appeared on episodes of Quincy and Fall Guy.

High school football coach
Reamon coached with the Newport News Public Schools for a number of years. He was at Ferguson High School until it was closed during a building modernization program in 1996. He then moved to Warwick High School.

From 2006 until early 2008, Tommy Reamon was employed coaching high school football at Gloucester High School in Gloucester County in the Virginia's Middle Peninsula region at the northern edge of Hampton Roads. At Gloucester High School, Coach Reamon's son Tommy Jr. was considered among the rising football stars with collegiate potential, according to observers. Tommy Reamon Jr. subsequently selected Old Dominion University in Norfolk where he is playing for the Monarchs.

In April, 2008, it was announced that Reamon had accepted a position with Virginia Beach City Public Schools as Head Football coach at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach. The Landstown Eagles team went 5-5 the prior season. He will replace Steve Canter, who resigned March 18, 2008, after two seasons to accept a job on Pete Adrian’s staff at Norfolk State University.

Notable players under tutelage
In his tenure with Newport News Public Schools, Coach Reamon was noted for helping develop future NFL quarterbacks Aaron Brooks and Michael Vick. He also coached Marcus Vick, Michael's younger brother. Reamon assisted Brooks with his transition to the University of Virginia, and later, each of the Vick brothers at Virginia Tech, where they each received full scholarships.

After graduating from UVA. Brooks played for the Green Bay Packers; the New Orleans Saints, where he was the starting quarterback for six years; and the Oakland Raiders, and is currently a free agent. In 2008, he announced plans to invest in a redevelopment project in the economically depressed East End area of his hometown of Newport News. Earlier in 2008, he announced plans to invest in Southeast Commerce Center, a redevelopment project his hometown of Newport News. The multimillion-dollar investment will be a mixed-use development with 190 town houses, a grocery store and retail offerings. Brooks commented to Newport News Daily Press: "It's a great opportunity to give back to the community...a lot of hard-working, middle-class people that live in the area. I'm just trying to make the area better for them."

Neither of the Vick brothers completed their scholarships at Virginia Tech. Michael Vick left Virginia Tech early to declare for the 2001 NFL Draft. He was a popular star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons during the 2001-2006 seasons, and was one of the highest paid NFL players with lucrative product endorsement deals before his federal felony conviction in 2007 relating to an intrastate dog fighting ring. Suspended by the NFL, he served a year and a half in federal prison time in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and awaiting trial on several state felony charges in Surry County, Virginia after his release. He has filed bankruptcy. In a hearing on August 29, 2008, he told the bankruptcy court that his representatives are talking to the NFL on his behalf about a return to football, but that he does not know what his earning potential is. The Norfolk Virginian-Pilot quoted him as stating: "My plan is to go back into playing football.". He was later reinstated to the NFL in late July and signed by the Philadelphia Eagles in mid-August serving as a back-up to Donavan Mcnabb.

Marcus Vick was expelled from Virginia Tech after multiple criminal incidents and incidents of bad sportsmanship, and an earlier suspension by university officials. He was an undrafted free agent who became was a reserve player with the Miami Dolphins for a year (2006–2007), and as of 2008, was currently a free agent. As of June 2008, he was also waiting trial on multiple charges including involving eluding police and driving while intoxicated stemming from an incident in Norfolk, Virginia.