Hampton Roads football legend Tommy Reamon dies at 73
He was not on the list.
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — Tommy Reamon Sr., a former NFL and World Football League running back and long-time high school coach of students in Hampton Roads, including Michael Vick, has died, his son Tommy Reamon Jr. announced on social media Thursday morning. He was 73.
The news comes about two months after Reamon Jr. shared on social media that his father had suffered a stroke.
In the 1970s, Reamon was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers,
but played for a few years on various teams in the WFL.
But Reamon's biggest impacts were felt as a coach in Hampton Roads, where he coached in Newport News at Ferguson, Warwick, and Denbigh high schools, and later in Virginia Beach as the head coach at Landstown High School.
In March, Tommy Reamon Jr. posted that his father was in the hospital after having a stroke.
Reamon Jr. continued to update the community on his father's condition, sharing that he had a tracheostomy in April.
Reamon was drafted in 1974 by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, and by the Florida Blazers in the World Football League's College Draft. He was selected in round 29 by the Blazers. Reamon went on to stardom in the World Football League, and was named one of the league's MVPs in 1974 as a member of the Blazers. He helped 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. 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 750 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.
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.
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.
Career information
Position(s) Running back
College Missouri
NFL draft 1974, round: 9 / Pick 223
(By the Pittsburgh Steelers) WFL Draft:
1974 Round 23 / Pick 275
(By the Florida Blazers)
Career history
As player
1974 Florida Blazers
1975 Jacksonville Express
1976 Kansas City Chiefs
1977 Saskatchewan Roughriders
Honors All-WFL (1974)
WFL Tri-MVP (1974)
In one of his final updates before his father passed, Reamon Jr. shared the following remarks:
"We're approaching two months of my dad being in the hospital," Reamon Jr. wrote on May 17. " He has not been making the improvements like we all would hope. It's been an emotional battle every single day."
"Pops, I love you. The city loves you," he continued. "We're in this together."
Reamon is beloved by the countless players he's coached at programs throughout Hampton Roads, including Michael Vick, who's now the head coach at Norfolk State University. Reamon was Vick's high school football coach when he starred at Ferguson and Warwick.
NSU Athletics shared this statement following Reamon's passing:
"The Norfolk State University athletic department is saddened to hear of the passing of local football legend Tommy Reamon. Coach Reamon was a one-of-a-kind figure who impacted countless members of the Hampton Roads community – including our head football coach Michael Vick. He will be deeply missed. At this time, we request privacy for Coach Vick and his family as they mourn the loss of a close friend and longtime mentor."
Actor
Lee Majors and Heather Thomas in The Fall Guy (1981)
The Fall Guy
7.1
TV Series
Tom
1982
Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith in Charlie's Angels (1976)
Charlie's Angels
6.6
TV Series
EdGuard
1979–1981
The Oklahoma City Dolls (1981)
The Oklahoma City Dolls
6.0
TV Movie
Arvelle's Boyfriend
1981
Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop (1980)
Police Story: Confessions of a Lady Cop
6.4
TV Movie
Morriss
1980
Jeff Goldblum and Ben Vereen in Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980)
Tenspeed and Brown Shoe
7.5
TV Series
Jim
1980
North Dallas Forty (1979)
North Dallas Forty
6.9
Delma Huddle
1979
The Ultimate Impostor (1979)
The Ultimate Impostor
5.9
TV Movie
Johnson
1979
Quincy, M.E. (1976)
Quincy, M.E.
7.3
TV Series
3rd PlayerPoliceman
1978–1979
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