 Armstead in 2008 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 98 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1970-10-26)October 26, 1970 (age 55) Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 237 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Carter (Dallas) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Miami (FL) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1993: 8th round, 207th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Jessie Willard Armstead (born October 26, 1970) is an American former professionalfootball player who was alinebacker for 11 seasons in theNational Football League (NFL) with theNew York Giants and theWashington Redskins between 1993 and 2003. He was a three-timeAll-Pro and five-timePro Bowl selection. He playedcollege football at theUniversity of Miami.
Armstead attendedDavid W. Carter High School inDallas, Texas, where he was coached byFreddie James. Armstead was part of a highly talented team that featured four other future NFL players—Clifton Abraham,Joe Burch,Le'Shai Maston, Darius Smith—and won the 1988 5A state championship (which was later stripped byUIL in 1991 due to eligibility infringements), defeatingPermian High School in the state semi-final game, which was portrayed as the state championship game in the 2004 filmFriday Night Lights and the 2017ESPN 30 for 30 documentary "What Carter Lost" as well as the 2015 filmCarter High.
Armstead was considered the top high school football talent in Texas as well as nationwide by recruiting analysts.[1] He had been an All-American since his sophomore year, and at that time was the only player to be selected as an All-American three years in high school.
FellowD-I recruits Derric Evans and Gary Edwards asked Armstead to join them and others in a series of robberies of video stores and fast-food restaurants, but he refused. In September 1989, Evans and Edwards were sentenced to 20 years and 16 years, respectively, in prison.[2]
Recruited byJimmy Johnson, Armstead chose to attend theUniversity of Miami. However, weeks later, Johnson left Miami to take over as the head coach of theDallas Cowboys. After initial reports that Armstead might seek to be released from his commitment to Miami, since the coach who recruited him to play there had departed, Armstead chose to honor his commitment afterDennis Erickson was named head coach.
A college standout on 2 of Miami's 5 national championship teams (1989,1991), Armstead's pro prospects were diminished after he tore hisanterior cruciate ligament his sophomore season. As a result, he was notdrafted until the eighth round of the1993 NFL draft, when he was selected by theNew York Giants.
Armstead was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentaryThe U, which premiered December 12, 2009 onESPN.
Armstead was selected by the Giants in the eighth round of the1993 NFL draft.[3] Armstead was a five-timePro Bowler, elected between 1997 and 2001. Armstead had 752 careertackles with forty sacks and 12 interceptions for 175 yards.
Following a nine-year career with the Giants, he was signed to a three-year, $10.5 million deal by theWashington Redskins, where he played for two additional seasons.[4]
He signed with theCarolina Panthers for the 2004 season, but he retired that year following a pre-season injury.
On June 13, 2007, Armstead signed a one-day contract with the New York Giants to officially retire a New York Giant.[5]
On September 8, 2008, Armstead was hired by the Giants as a "special assistant / consultant." His responsibilities include special projects, defensive assignments, player development and free agent recruiting. In 2010, he was inducted into the New York GiantsRing of Honor. He also has a Super Bowl ring from theirSuper Bowl XLII win.[6]
In February 2008, Armstead was featured as one of the pros onPros vs Joes onSpike TV.