John Armstrong (American football)
American football player (born 1963)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Earl Armstrong (born July 7, 1963) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) in 1987.
Calhoun City, Mississippi, U.S.
| No. 20 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Defensive back | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | July 7, 1963 Calhoun City, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||||
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| College | Richmond | ||||
| NFL draft | 1986: 11th round, 286th overall pick | ||||
| Career history | |||||
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Armstrong played multiple positions for the Bruce High School football team, as well as basketball and track and field, before going on to Northwest Mississippi Community College.[1] There he earned junior college All-American status as the team won a national junior college championship.[2][3][1]
After two years, he joined the football team of the University of Richmond, where he majored in physical education.[2][4] He became a starting cornerback during his senior year in 1985 and ranked among the top punt and kickoff returners in the country.[3]
In the 1986 NFL draft, Armstrong was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 11th round.[5][6] He was released from the team on August 19.[7] Armstrong signed with the Buffalo Bills in 1987 and played with the team in the preseason, but was placed on waivers on August 31.[8][9]
He rejoined the team as a non-roster replacement player during the 1987 National Football League Players Association strike. On September 23, he was interrogated and harassed at a hotel by striking Bills players, including Greg Bell, Joe Devlin, Sean McNanie and Fred Smerlas, for playing as a strikebreaker.[10] He appeared in three games for Buffalo, starting two.[11] He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 1988, but was cut in August before the season began.[12][13]