EMPIRE ALUM JOE SYKES ANNOUNCED AS DEFENSIVE LINE COACH

May 5, 2021

A native of Grenada, Mississippi and graduate of Grenada High School, Trumaine "Joe" Sykes played football at Holmes Community College for the 2001-2003.  

Sykes went on to be a leader on and off the football field at Holmes. As an outstanding defensive end he was named NJCAA All-American. Sykes had several scholarship offers from Auburn, Louisiana Tech, Memphis, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Southern Miss and Temple and West Virginia University which he committed to in 2003.

After West Virginia, he also played at Southern University where he was named first team All-SWAC. Sykes entered the NFL as an un-drafted free agent in 2006 for the Washington Redskins. Then Sykes went on to play to play a successful career in the Canadian Football League for several years before trying his talent in National Arena League.

Sykes was awarded Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2018 while playing for the Albany Empire in New York. In 2019,  Sykes won Defensive Lineman of the Year award for the fifth time in his career. Sykes  was part of the team that won the Arena Bowl XXXII. After the big season success in 2019 Sykes retired from the sport being the  all -time AFL leader in Sacks.  

Sykes lives in New York with his family and football continues to be a part of his life. Now he helps youth get ready and plan to be successful on the field teaching them all the things he did not know when he started his career.