BARBERTON ― Detroit Lions defensive lineman John Cominsky gathered the 71 children who attended his free youth football camp Saturday morning and outlined a rewards system.
Each kid could earn stickers to adorn the name tag placed on his or her Cominsky camp T-shirt.
A football sticker represented superior sportsmanship, a star symbolized extraordinary effort and a skull and crossbones denoted a splash play.
"They're learning more about life out here at this camp than they are about football," said Cliff Brady, Cominsky's agent who helped run the camp at Barberton High School's Rudy Sharkey Stadium.
Cominksy has had a remarkable life, even though the 2014 Barberton graduate is only 27 years old, and it's become more inspirational in the past year.
"That's motivational in itself. It can give kids goosebumps," said Barberton police officer Brandon McCall, a former Magics running back and teammate of Cominsky who visited the camp.
Cominsky went from an NFL long shot at Division II University of Charleston in West Virginia to a fourth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 2019. Amid changes to Atlanta's coaching staff and defensive scheme and coming off a season of limited playing time, Cominsky requested and was granted his release from the Falcons in May 2022, Brady said. Eight teams submitted waiver claims for Cominsky, with the Lions landing him.
Then Cominsky made Detroit's roster last summer as a new father. His wife, Brittany, and daughter, Emersyn, who turned 1 last month, lived with him in the team hotel throughout training camp.
A curveball surfaced in Week 2 when Cominsky suffered a broken right thumb in a 36-27 win over the Washington Commanders , underwent surgery and missed three games.
"I was really determined to make this year a good one," Cominsky said, "and I just wasn't going to let that get in my way."
Cominsky played the rest of the season with a club on his right hand and finished with career highs in tackles (30), sacks (four), quarterback hits (12), tackles for loss (five), passes defensed (three) and forced fumbles (one) in 14 games, eight of which he started.
In March, Cominsky secured the NFL's version of those sticker prizes when he signed a contract extension with the Lions, who went 9-8 last season. The deal is for two years and worth $8.5 million, with $4 million guaranteed, and it includes up to an additional $1 million in incentives, Brady said.
"I've always kind of rooted for the underdog myself, and that's how I consider myself, playing Division II ball, not many scholarships out of high school and going the long, hard way," Cominsky said. "So to inspire kids, that's a lot of what drives me. Obviously, I do it for my family and my faith, but these kids, they come out here, and they're inspired, they're excited and they believe that maybe it's a possibility for them, too, or just [an example of how they can] achieve their dreams."
After Cominsky signed the extension, he addressed Detroit reporters in a news conference while wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the following: "1 year of focus and hustle can change your life forever."
Brady bought Cominsky the shirt from Hastamuerte and said the owner of the clothing company is going to let Cominsky put his own sayings on apparel this fall.
The Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings were pursuing Cominsky with offers, Brady said, but the 6-foot-5 lineman preferred to remain with the Lions instead of leaving Detroit as an unrestricted free agent.
When Lions coach Dan Campbell texted Cominsky, it sealed the deal.
"That was really the deciding point," Cominsky said. "I was already leaning towards Detroit. I wanted to make Detroit happen no matter what, but that text was just reassurance. [Campbell] didn't want to get involved. That's what he said: 'I don't want to get involved, but I'm dying to have you here.' And I was just, like, 'OK, dude. I got chills from that text.' I called him. I'm like, 'Let's do it. Let's sign the thing.'"
Can you guess what else Cominsky said gives him chills? He experiences the sensation when he returns to his alma mater in Barberton, where he played several skill positions, including quarterback as a senior.
"When you're so focused and wrapped up in the NFL and that lifestyle, it kind of brings you back to where you were in high school and kind of makes you remember some of the things that you did, maybe some of the workouts you did and the people you hung out with and the things that inspired you," Cominsky said. "You run into people and then you just remember. It grounds me, it humbles me and it brings me back to where I came from, so I love it."
Cominsky has hosted four youth football camps in Barberton.
"This means a lot to the community. It means a lot to the kids," said Barberton Mayor William Judge, who chatted with Cominsky during the camp. "John's down to earth. He's a hometown boy. He's always giving back. He's always thought of others before himself."
Brittany Cominsky said she and her husband feel amazing when the people of Barberton express gratitude for the work they do in the community. The Cominsky Family Foundation focuses on youth in Barberton.
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Cominsky's camp is his signature event, and its attendance has increased each year.
"He thinks back to his childhood and how awesome that would've been to have a professional football player there to do football camp with him," said Brittany Cominsky, who's also a Barberton graduate. "He had a lot of good mentors growing up, and so that is just his dream for these kids."
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Barberton football coach Tony Gotto and about 20 his high school players provided assistance at Cominsky's camp.
"It's awesome for the kids to be able to see somebody that's made it at the level that he's made it, being from Barberton, giving our kids kind of that same type of hope and drive," Gotto said. "But the great thing is what he does with the giving back."
Among the camp volunteers was Roosevelt Andrews, who's preparing to transition from Barberton to Miami University, where he's committed to play football. At times in the offseason, Cominsky still works out at Barberton, and Andrews is one of his training partners.
"It makes me think since he did it, I can do it, too," said Andrews, who expects to play defensive end at Miami. "It makes me push myself that much harder."
Cominsky keeps pushing ahead on his incredible football journey, and he does it while representing Barberton with pride.
Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Lions player John Cominsky inspires hometown of Barberton
