Trace Armstrong
Encyclopedia
Raymond Lester "Trace" Armstrong, III (born October 5, 1965) is a former American college and professional football
player who was a defensive end
in the National Football League
(NFL) for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. Armstrong played college football
for Arizona State University
and the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Chicago Bears
, the Miami Dolphins
and the Oakland Raiders
of the NFL. Armstrong was formerly the president of the NFL players' union, and he currently works as a sports agent.
in 1965. He attended John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham, Alabama
, where he played high school football
and lettered three years as an outside linebacker and defensive end
for the John Carroll Cavaliers. Armstrong was an all-state selection and was named one of The Birmingham News
top twelve players in Alabama
as a high school
senior
.
to attend Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona
, where he began his college career as a defensive tackle for the Arizona State Sun Devils football
team. He red-shirt
ed in 1984, and as a freshman
in 1985 he played in ten games with three starts, totaling thirty-two tackles (two for a loss).
As a sophomore
in 1986, he was a back-up with two starts on the 10–1–1 Sun Devils that finished fourth in the Associated Press
football poll and defeated the Michigan Wolverines
in the Rose Bowl. Armstrong recovered a key fumble in the Sun Devils' defeat of the USC Trojans that sealed the Devils' Rose Bowl bid. Armstrong finished the 1986 season with twenty-six tackles (one for a loss—a quarterback sack
), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
As a junior starter in 1987, Armstrong had a key role in the defeat of the Oregon State Beavers
, when he sacked Erik Wilhelm
in the end zone for a safety that began a 11–0 surge by the Sun Devils in sealing a 30–21 win. The 1987 Sun Devils finished #20 in the final AP poll after defeating Air Force
in the 1987 Freedom Bowl
. Armstrong ended the 1987 season with fifty-one tackles (ten for a loss including a team-leading seven sacks). He was an honorable mention All-America by both the AP and UPI.
Trace was denied a final year of eligibility by the NCAA due to an "academic mix-up," which he could only recoup if he transferred to another school. However, he was granted immediate eligibility after the NCAA waived its transfer rule in an unusual academic status case from high school which allowed the transfer.
As a result, Armstrong transferred to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
, and played final college season for coach Galen Hall
's Florida Gators football
team in 1988. He was recognized as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
(SEC) selection and a first-team All-American at defensive tackle. He set a new Gators single-season record for most tackles for a loss with nineteen, including seven sacks. In all, Armstrong made fifty-nine tackles with forty-one of those solo. Armstrong finished his college career on the sidelines in the Gators' 14–10 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini
in the All American Bowl on December 29, 1988. Armstrong underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his left knee two weeks before the bowl game and could not play.
Armstrong ended his college career with 169 tackles, including thirty-two tackles for losses and fifteen quarterback sacks. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
in liberal arts
in 1989, and returned to earn a master's degree
in business administration in 2006. As part of a fan poll conducted by The Gainesville Sun in 2006, he was voted to the Florida Gators 100th Anniversary Team as a defensive lineman together with other Gators like Jack Youngblood
, Wilber Marshall
and Kevin Carter. He was also inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2000.
, and he played for the Bears for six seasons from to . He signed with the Bears on August 18, 1989; his total package was a reported $2.2 million over four years.
After the Bears' 47–27 victory at Detroit on September 27, 1989, Armstrong perhaps made his first NFL mark.
After reporting late to training camp because of a contract dispute, and then struggling through the first
two games of the season, Armstrong finally found his niche at left defensive end against the Lions, making five solo tackles,
defending a pass and getting his first pro sack by dumping Lions quarterback Bob Gagliano
. Armstrong finished his rookie season with five sacks and was voted All-Rookie. His teammates voted him the winner of the Brian Piccolo Award for "courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication, and sense of humor."
The following season, 1990, Armstrong notched ten sacks, the first of five seasons he reached double-digits. He was NFC Defensive Player of the Month in September 1990, in which he totaled twenty-five tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one pass defended.
In 1991 he recorded only 1.5 sacks, in part because although he was the starting left defensive end he moved to defensive tackle in the Bears "nickel defense," perhaps cutting down on his pass-rush opportunities. He was slated to play that spot again in 1992, however, the development of Alonzo Spellman
allowed Armstrong to play end in all situations. As a result, his sack total was a 6.5.
On March 16, 1993, Armstrong re-signed a three-year $3 million deal with the Bears which was reported to make him one of the five highest-paid players on the team. In 1993, Armstrong notched 11.5 sacks and forced three fumbles. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for three tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two sacks in a Thanksgiving Day win over Detroit. He also had six tackles and two sacks at Philadelphia on October 10, 1993, and then career-best 2.5 sacks at Kansas City on November 21, 1993.
In 1994, his last in Chicago, he had 7.5 sacks. In the playoffs that season, against the Minnesota Vikings
, January 1, 1995, Armstrong recorded both of the Bears' sacks in a 35–18 win over the Vikings for which he was awarded the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
In 1996 Armstrong started nine games and recorded twelve sacks. He remained the starter in 1997 and returned to the "designated rusher" role in 1998. He was named as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Week for postseason games played January 8–9, 2000. In the Dolphins 20–17 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, January 9, 2000, Armstrong helped a defense which limited Seattle to 32 total yards in the second half. He registered five tackles, three sacks and one quarterback hurry on the day.
He led the AFC in quarterback sacks (16.5) in 2000 with the Miami Dolphins
while recording 7 forced fumbles, also a career-high. He also made the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career. He did this despite not starting a single game, making his the first so-called designated pass rusher to go to the Pro Bowl since Fred Dean
was voted to the 1983 post-season all-star game.
Armstrong sustained an Achilles tendon
injury on September 30, 2001, causing him to miss the final thirteen games of the 2001 season. In 2002 and 2003, Armstrong was pressed into a starting role due to injuries of the so-called "run down defense" of the Raiders. He started eight games at right defensive end in 2002 after Tony Bryant was hurt, and he started seven games at left defensive end when Lorenzo Bromell was injured in 2003.
Trace suffered his own injuries in 2002 and 2003. In 2003 it was a groin injury that put him in the injured-reserve list and in 2003, he injured a shoulder in November which ended his 2003 season after ten games.
While in Oakland, he was the twentieth player in NFL history to record 100 career quarterback sacks, and finished his career with a total of 106.5. (When he retired, he was sixteenth in the all-time sack leader list.) Following the 2003 season, he was released from the Oakland Raiders
after failing a physical due to several substantial injuries incurred while in Oakland and retired from the NFL
afterwards. According to NFLPA records, in his fifteen NFL seasons Armstrong earned approximately $23 million in salary and bonuses.
. Although he was considered a favorite for the job, he lost the election to Washington, D.C.
-based attorney
DeMaurice Smith
.
, Michigan Wolverines
head coach Brady Hoke
, Green Bay Packers
head coach Mike McCarthy, and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer
, among others. He is also the agent for several broadcasters such as Chris Mortensen
and Adam Schefter. Armstrong currently lives in his former college hometown, Gainesville, Florida
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was a defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
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...
(NFL) for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. Armstrong played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
and the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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...
and the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL. Armstrong was formerly the president of the NFL players' union, and he currently works as a sports agent.
Early life
Armstrong was born in Bethesda, MarylandBethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
in 1965. He attended John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, where he played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
and lettered three years as an outside linebacker and defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
for the John Carroll Cavaliers. Armstrong was an all-state selection and was named one of The Birmingham News
The Birmingham News
The Birmingham News is the principal daily newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and the largest newspaper in Alabama. The paper is owned by Advance Publications...
top twelve players in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
as a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
senior
Senior (education)
Senior is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the 4th year of study .-High school:...
.
College career
Armstrong received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona
Tempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, where he began his college career as a defensive tackle for the Arizona State Sun Devils football
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
team. He red-shirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
ed in 1984, and as a freshman
Freshman
A freshman or fresher is a first-year student in secondary school, high school, or college. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (US) or fresher (UK, India) (or sometimes fish, freshie, fresher; slang plural frosh or freshmeat) is a...
in 1985 he played in ten games with three starts, totaling thirty-two tackles (two for a loss).
As a sophomore
Sophomore
Sophomore is a term used in the United States to describe a student in the second year of study at high school or university.The word is also used as a synonym for "second", for the second album or EP released by a musician or group, the second movie of a director, or the second season of a...
in 1986, he was a back-up with two starts on the 10–1–1 Sun Devils that finished fourth in the Associated Press
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...
football poll and defeated the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
in the Rose Bowl. Armstrong recovered a key fumble in the Sun Devils' defeat of the USC Trojans that sealed the Devils' Rose Bowl bid. Armstrong finished the 1986 season with twenty-six tackles (one for a loss—a quarterback sack
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...
), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
As a junior starter in 1987, Armstrong had a key role in the defeat of the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
, when he sacked Erik Wilhelm
Erik Wilhelm
Erik Bradley Wilhelm is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1989 to 1997 and the Arena Football League in 2001. Wilhelm was selected out of Oregon State University by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft...
in the end zone for a safety that began a 11–0 surge by the Sun Devils in sealing a 30–21 win. The 1987 Sun Devils finished #20 in the final AP poll after defeating Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
in the 1987 Freedom Bowl
Freedom Bowl
The Freedom Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California, from 1984 to 1994. Beginning with the 1995 season, the Freedom Bowl's WAC tie-ins were merged with that of the Holiday Bowl and the game was dissolved...
. Armstrong ended the 1987 season with fifty-one tackles (ten for a loss including a team-leading seven sacks). He was an honorable mention All-America by both the AP and UPI.
Trace was denied a final year of eligibility by the NCAA due to an "academic mix-up," which he could only recoup if he transferred to another school. However, he was granted immediate eligibility after the NCAA waived its transfer rule in an unusual academic status case from high school which allowed the transfer.
As a result, Armstrong transferred to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, and played final college season for coach Galen Hall
Galen Hall
Galen Samuel Hall is an American college and professional football coach and former player. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and an alumnus of Penn State University, where he played college football...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team in 1988. He was recognized as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection and a first-team All-American at defensive tackle. He set a new Gators single-season record for most tackles for a loss with nineteen, including seven sacks. In all, Armstrong made fifty-nine tackles with forty-one of those solo. Armstrong finished his college career on the sidelines in the Gators' 14–10 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
in the All American Bowl on December 29, 1988. Armstrong underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his left knee two weeks before the bowl game and could not play.
Armstrong ended his college career with 169 tackles, including thirty-two tackles for losses and fifteen quarterback sacks. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
in 1989, and returned to earn a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in business administration in 2006. As part of a fan poll conducted by The Gainesville Sun in 2006, he was voted to the Florida Gators 100th Anniversary Team as a defensive lineman together with other Gators like Jack Youngblood
Jack Youngblood
Herbert Jackson "Jack" Youngblood, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League for fourteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He was a five-time consensus All-Pro and a seven-time Pro Bowl...
, Wilber Marshall
Wilber Marshall
Wilber Buddyhia Marshall is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League for twelve seasons during the 1980s and 1990s...
and Kevin Carter. He was also inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2000.
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears selected Armstrong in the first round (11th overall pick) of the 1989 NFL Draft1989 NFL Draft
The 1989 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 23–24 , 1989...
, and he played for the Bears for six seasons from to . He signed with the Bears on August 18, 1989; his total package was a reported $2.2 million over four years.
After the Bears' 47–27 victory at Detroit on September 27, 1989, Armstrong perhaps made his first NFL mark.
After reporting late to training camp because of a contract dispute, and then struggling through the first
two games of the season, Armstrong finally found his niche at left defensive end against the Lions, making five solo tackles,
defending a pass and getting his first pro sack by dumping Lions quarterback Bob Gagliano
Bob Gagliano
Robert Frank "Bob" "The Goose" Gagliano , is a former professional American football player. He began his career playing quarterback for Glendale Community College. He then played for United States International University in San Diego, and Utah State University...
. Armstrong finished his rookie season with five sacks and was voted All-Rookie. His teammates voted him the winner of the Brian Piccolo Award for "courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication, and sense of humor."
The following season, 1990, Armstrong notched ten sacks, the first of five seasons he reached double-digits. He was NFC Defensive Player of the Month in September 1990, in which he totaled twenty-five tackles, five sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and one pass defended.
In 1991 he recorded only 1.5 sacks, in part because although he was the starting left defensive end he moved to defensive tackle in the Bears "nickel defense," perhaps cutting down on his pass-rush opportunities. He was slated to play that spot again in 1992, however, the development of Alonzo Spellman
Alonzo Spellman
Alonzo Robert Spellman is a former American football defensive lineman in the National Football League who played for the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and the Detroit Lions...
allowed Armstrong to play end in all situations. As a result, his sack total was a 6.5.
On March 16, 1993, Armstrong re-signed a three-year $3 million deal with the Bears which was reported to make him one of the five highest-paid players on the team. In 1993, Armstrong notched 11.5 sacks and forced three fumbles. He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for three tackles, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and two sacks in a Thanksgiving Day win over Detroit. He also had six tackles and two sacks at Philadelphia on October 10, 1993, and then career-best 2.5 sacks at Kansas City on November 21, 1993.
In 1994, his last in Chicago, he had 7.5 sacks. In the playoffs that season, against the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, January 1, 1995, Armstrong recorded both of the Bears' sacks in a 35–18 win over the Vikings for which he was awarded the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
Miami Dolphins
On April 4, 1995, the Dolphins traded a second and third-round draft pick for Armstrong. He was acquired to fill a role as a designated pass rusher, a player who comes into the game in likely passing downs in an effort to give the team's pass rush a boost. This is a role Armstrong filled the rest of his career; however, in five seasons, injuries to the starting ends forced Armstrong into a starting role. On October 12, 1995, Armstrong signed a five-year $8.9 million contract extension with the Dolphins.In 1996 Armstrong started nine games and recorded twelve sacks. He remained the starter in 1997 and returned to the "designated rusher" role in 1998. He was named as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Week for postseason games played January 8–9, 2000. In the Dolphins 20–17 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, January 9, 2000, Armstrong helped a defense which limited Seattle to 32 total yards in the second half. He registered five tackles, three sacks and one quarterback hurry on the day.
He led the AFC in quarterback sacks (16.5) in 2000 with 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...
while recording 7 forced fumbles, also a career-high. He also made the Pro Bowl for the only time in his career. He did this despite not starting a single game, making his the first so-called designated pass rusher to go to the Pro Bowl since Fred Dean
Fred Dean
Frederick Rudolph "Fred" Dean is a former American football player in the National Football League, and a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. His career started with the San Diego Chargers in 1975 and ended with the San Francisco 49ers after the 1985 season. Dean was born in Arcadia, the seat of...
was voted to the 1983 post-season all-star game.
Oakland Raiders
Armstrong signed free-agent contract with the Raiders ion 2001. The Raiders offered him a six-year deal worth approximately $18.5 million. However, the first two years were to pay approximately $8 million, including a $5 million signing bonus. In his three years with the Raiders, Armstrong earned $9 million.Armstrong sustained an Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
injury on September 30, 2001, causing him to miss the final thirteen games of the 2001 season. In 2002 and 2003, Armstrong was pressed into a starting role due to injuries of the so-called "run down defense" of the Raiders. He started eight games at right defensive end in 2002 after Tony Bryant was hurt, and he started seven games at left defensive end when Lorenzo Bromell was injured in 2003.
Trace suffered his own injuries in 2002 and 2003. In 2003 it was a groin injury that put him in the injured-reserve list and in 2003, he injured a shoulder in November which ended his 2003 season after ten games.
While in Oakland, he was the twentieth player in NFL history to record 100 career quarterback sacks, and finished his career with a total of 106.5. (When he retired, he was sixteenth in the all-time sack leader list.) Following the 2003 season, he was released from the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
after failing a physical due to several substantial injuries incurred while in Oakland and retired from the NFL
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...
afterwards. According to NFLPA records, in his fifteen NFL seasons Armstrong earned approximately $23 million in salary and bonuses.
NFL Players Association
While playing in the NFL, Armstrong served as the president of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) for eight years (1996–2003). In 2009, Armstrong stood for election to become the full-time executive director of the NFLPA, a position left vacant by the death of Gene UpshawGene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. was an American football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League and later the NFL, later the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association...
. Although he was considered a favorite for the job, he lost the election to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
-based attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
DeMaurice Smith
DeMaurice Smith
DeMaurice "D" Smith is the Executive Director of the National Football League Players' Association . Smith was elected unanimously by a board of active player representatives on March 16, 2009.- Career :...
.
Life after the NFL
Armstrong currently serves as the agent for former NFL head coach Marty SchottenheimerMarty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
, Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
head coach Brady Hoke
Brady Hoke
Brady Hoke is the head football coach at the University of Michigan. He is in his first season. He grew up in Ohio and attended Ball State University where he played linebacker from 1977 to 1980...
, Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
head coach Mike McCarthy, and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
, among others. He is also the agent for several broadcasters such as Chris Mortensen
Chris Mortensen
Chris "Mort" Mortensen , an award-winning journalist, provides reports for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com...
and Adam Schefter. Armstrong currently lives in his former college hometown, Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
.
See also
- 1988 College Football All-America Team1988 College Football All-America TeamThe 1988 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
- Arizona State Sun Devils
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1980–1989
- History of the Oakland RaidersHistory of the Oakland Raiders-Early years :A few months after the first AFL draft in 1959, the owners of the yet-unnamed Minneapolis franchise accepted an offer to join the established National Football League as an expansion team in 1961, sending the AFL scrambling for a replacement. At the time, Oakland seemed an unlikely...
- List of Chicago Bears first-round draft picks
- List of Chicago Bears players
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of Miami Dolphins players