Antonio Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Antonio Donnell Armstrong (born Antonio Donnell Shorter on October 15, 1973 in Houston, Texas
) is a former gridiron football
linebacker
who played professionally in the National Football League
and the Canadian Football League
.
and signed with nearby Texas A&M
. As a junior at A&M, Armstrong earned Defensive Player of the Game honors after making eight tackles
and three sacks
in the 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic against Notre Dame
. Armstrong earned AP
All-America
honors his senior year (1994) after making 62 tackles, including 17 behind the line of scrimmage
as a senior. He was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award that year, and was a two-time All-SWC selection.
by the San Francisco 49ers
, but fractured his ankle on the third day of training camp and was signed to the practice squad. He was released from the practice squad on October 15, 1995. On October 16, 1995, he was signed to the Miami Dolphins
practice squad
and placed on the active roster a week later. He appeared in 4 games that season for the Dolphins and recorded 4 solo tackles. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams
the following year and was released after training camp.
of the Canadian Football League in 1998 and made an immediate impact as a starter
for two seasons with the team. In 2000, Armstrong was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
. He was Winnipeg's defensive player of the year and an East Division
All-star in 2000. On October 15, 2000 Armstrong suffered a career ending fracture of his left ankle. He attempted to return to the NFL, but was limited because of his injury. Armstrong eventually re-signed with the Bombers in September 2001 and started the 2001 Grey Cup
game. Armstrong decided to retire in 2002 because of a contract dispute and physical limitations due to his injury suffered in 2000.
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
) is a former gridiron football
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
who played professionally in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
.
High school and college
Armstrong starred at Kashmere High SchoolKashmere High School
Kashmere High School is a secondary school in Houston, Texas that serves grades 9 through 12; it is a part of the Houston Independent School District.Kashmere contains the Conrad O. Johnson School of Fine Arts, a Houston ISD magnet school program....
and signed with nearby Texas A&M
Texas A&M Aggies football
The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in college football. The Aggies have competed in the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. They will join the Southeastern Conference in July 2012. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 18...
. As a junior at A&M, Armstrong earned Defensive Player of the Game honors after making eight tackles
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
and three sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
in the 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic against Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame's nickname is inherited from Irish immigrant soldiers who fought in the Civil War with the Union's Irish Brigade, , recollected among other places in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer who served with one of the Irish Brigade regiments during World War I...
. Armstrong earned AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
honors his senior year (1994) after making 62 tackles, including 17 behind the line of scrimmage
Line of scrimmage
In American and Canadian football a line of scrimmage is an imaginary transverse line beyond which a team cannot cross until the next play has begun...
as a senior. He was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award that year, and was a two-time All-SWC selection.
NFL
Armstrong was drafted in the 6th round of the 1995 NFL Draft1995 NFL Draft
The 1995 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 22–23, 1995 at the Paramount Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City...
by the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, but fractured his ankle on the third day of training camp and was signed to the practice squad. He was released from the practice squad on October 15, 1995. On October 16, 1995, he was signed to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
practice squad
Scout team
In sports, the scout team, also referred to as a practice team, taxi squad, practice squad or practice roster, is a group of players on a team whose task is to emulate future opponents for the featured players. Frequently used in American or Canadian Football, these teams consist of less...
and placed on the active roster a week later. He appeared in 4 games that season for the Dolphins and recorded 4 solo tackles. He was signed by the St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
the following year and was released after training camp.
CFL
Armstrong signed with the British Columbia LionsBritish Columbia Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
of the Canadian Football League in 1998 and made an immediate impact as a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
for two seasons with the team. In 2000, Armstrong was traded to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
. He was Winnipeg's defensive player of the year and an East Division
Canadian Football League East Division
The East Division is one of the two regional divisions of the Canadian Football League. Although the CFL was not founded until 1958, the East Division and its clubs are descended from earlier leagues.- Pre-1907 :...
All-star in 2000. On October 15, 2000 Armstrong suffered a career ending fracture of his left ankle. He attempted to return to the NFL, but was limited because of his injury. Armstrong eventually re-signed with the Bombers in September 2001 and started the 2001 Grey Cup
89th Grey Cup
The 89th Grey Cup was held in 2001 in Montreal. The Calgary Stampeders claimed their fifth championship in team history with a 27-19 win over the East Division champions and heavily favoured Winnipeg Blue Bombers....
game. Armstrong decided to retire in 2002 because of a contract dispute and physical limitations due to his injury suffered in 2000.