MONTGOMERY, Ohio — Sycamore High School football coach Scott Dattilo has Justin Murray's high school jersey more than a decade after the Buffalo Bills offensive lineman last played for the Aviators.
The forest green and gold No. 74 jersey certainly wouldn't fit the 6-foot-5, 304-pound Murray these days. But, the former University of Cincinnati player is still an Aviator at heart.
"He always comes around school when he's back in town, pops in and says, 'Hi,'" Dattilo said. "When we have our camps he shows up all the time. He's just a great down-to-Earth person."
That's why Dattilo is looking forward to seeing Murray return to Cincinnati Jan. 2 when the Bengals host the Bills at Paycor Stadium. Murray is listed second on the Bills' depth chart behind right guard Ryan Bates.
"I'm rooting for the Bengals obviously but if I had to pick a second (team) it would be the Bills and Justin," Dattilo said.
Dattilo will occasionally exchange a text message with Murray, a 2011 Sycamore graduate who was inducted into the school's athletics hall of fame earlier this year.
"I'm proud of Justin for his on-field success and even more for his off-field success, who he is as a person," Dattilo said.
Murray's athleticism was always evident at Sycamore. He could dunk a basketball two-handed by being flat-footed under the hoop. He also still holds the school's shot put distance record, too.
Murray, an undrafted player from UC, is in his fifth NFL season after he played with teams that included the Oakland Raiders and Arizona Cardinals in previous years.
"He's come such a long way from what he did here at Sycamore High School to what he's doing now in the NFL," Dattilo said. "You would never know that he's a high-profile athlete. He's a quiet guy. He likes doing things behind the scenes. He didn't let his success get to his head and let it change who he is and who he wants to be."
So it was no surprise that Murray helped Dattilo and the Aviators create a virtual football camp in June 2020 during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was Murray's way of giving back to the school community. He's never forgotten his high school football playing days and the lessons of perseverance throughout his career.
"I was cut a couple times but I always took advantage of each and every new opportunity that I received," Murray told WCPO during that virtual camp. "Luckily and thankfully I always finished off everything I started the previous year."
