Growing up, Tommy Reamon Jr. had a dream of playing in the NFL.
He watched many great athletes from Hampton Roads achieve the same dream before him, including quarterbacks Michael Vick and Aaron Brooks. Both were coached by Reamon’s father, Tommy Sr.
“I was striving to be just like those guys,” he said, “to one day play on Sunday.”
Reamon Jr. achieved his dream of getting to the NFL last week but in different way. He was named a scouting assistant for the New Orleans Saints.
“I wanted to play in the NFL because that was always a dream of mine,” Reamon said by cell phone from his new desk at the New Orleans Saints’ facility. “But I’m still touching it, just from a different aspect. It’s still a dream come true.”
Reamon’s road to New Orleans hasn’t come easily. He used the same dedication and determination that made him a standout quarterback to make it possible.
He starred at Gloucester High, where he was rated the No. 15 dual-threat quarterback in the nation by recruiting analyst Tom Lemming. A three-star recruit by Rivals.com, he threw for 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns, while rushing for more than 500 yards and seven touchdowns to earn honorable mention All-Peninsula District honors.
He had several offers, including from Buffalo, East Carolina, Missouri, Northern Illinois and Old Dominion. He chose the Monarchs and was a member of the school’s first recruiting class in 2008.
He started his college career as quarterback but switched to wide receiver and running back later in his career. After graduation, he spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Virginia. He then spent five months with the Pittsburgh Steelers as part of the NFL’s Bill Walsh Minority Coaching Fellowship program.
It was under Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin that Reamon found his calling. One day before practice Tomlin informed Reamon that he would spend that day with the scouts.
Reamon didn’t know much about being scout but picked it up quickly.
“A light bulb went off and I started focusing on evaluating players,” he said. “It was like love at first sight. I didn’t want to leave them.”
Tomlin also gave Reamon some advice on being persistent that also helped in his drive to become a scout.
“He told me, ‘You have to be politely aggressive,'” Reamon said. “He said, ‘You have to make sure you are doing everything on your end to show people that you are serious.”
Reamon remembers one occasion when he reached out to as many scouts and general managers as he could through emails. He told them who he was and what he wanted to do.
“I probably sent 500 emails out just trying to get some feedback,” he said. “I probably got 12-15 responses. Some were more receptive than others.”
One person who did contact Reamon was Paul Zimmer, the New Orleans Saints’ college scouting coordinator.
“He actually gave me a phone call and said I’m the type of guy the Saints look for,” Reamon said. “We started to build a relationship but it still didn’t mean a job.”
Reamon stayed in contact with Zimmer by being politely aggressive. In 2016 and 2017, Reamon attended several combines and the Senior Bowl so he and Zimmer could put a name to a face.
“I wanted to let him know that I was very serious about being a scout,” Reamon said.
At the same time Reamon also connected with former Hampton High football great Ronald Curry, who was an assistant wide receivers coach with the Saints.
“I got in contact with him and let him know that I wanted to be a scout,” Reamon said. “So I was hitting it from two different angles. I had Paul supporting me and I had Ronald Curry pushing for me.”
It eventually led to a phone call last month from Jeff Ireland, the assistant general manager/college scouting director, who asked Reamon to come down for an interview. Reamon was put through various tests, including evaluating the offensive line.
“I felt like I did a great job but you never know,” he said. “I put a lot of pressure on myself.”
Two days later he got a phone call from Ireland.
“I had his number in my phone, so when he called, his face popped up on my phone,” Reamon said. “I just took a deep breath. He said, ‘Hello’ and then asked, ‘How would you like to be a New Orleans Saint?’ “
Reamon said he broke into a smile that went from ear to ear.
As a scout he will be responsible for evaluating talent. He would identify guys who he thought were good enough to play as well as looking at character background checks. That includes talking to everyone from previous strength coaches to tutors and trainers.
“We’re speaking to anyone about what kind of guy this players is, good, bad or ugly,” he said.
When he got the job, one of the first calls he made was to his father, Tommy Sr. The elder Reamon, who is the head coach at Landstown High, was in class at the time.
“I said, ‘Dad, I’m the newest member of the New Orleans Saints,’ ” Reamon Jr. said. “He just burst out in class.”
Reamon Sr. said he just beamed with pride. He knew how hard his son wanted to be scout. He even remember hearing one day about his son waiting in the cold for two hours to speak to Zimmer.
“But that’s what you have to do in life to get what you want,” Reamon Sr. said. “I just know that he’s been trained, tutored and learned from the best people. I am so proud of all of those things that he’s done to get here.”
Reamon Jr., 28, said he couldn’t have gotten this far without the support of his father, mother, Brenda, and others, including Brooks. He said he grew up a Saints fan because of Brooks, and “he was very supportive throughout this process as well.”
Last week, as he drove to work, Reamon had to catch himself as he stared at New Orleans Saints complex from his car.
“I keep pinching to make sure I’m not dreaming,” said Reamon, whose ultimate goal is to be a general manager . “To be honest, I don’t think it’s really hit me yet that I’m working for an NFL franchise. I come in and it’s everything I dreamed about. It’s definitely an incredible feeling.”
Larry Rubama, 757-446-2273, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
