Jessie Armstead
Encyclopedia
Jessie Willard Armstead (born October 26, 1970) is a former American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants
and the Washington Redskins
between 1993 and 2003. He played college football at the University of Miami
.
in Dallas, Texas
, where he was coached by Freddie 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 (however, the title was later forfeited due to eligibility infringements).
Armstead was considered the top high school football talent in Texas as well as nationwide by recruiting analysts. 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.
Fellow D-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.
, Armstead chose to attend the University of Miami
. However, weeks later, Johnson left Miami to take over as the head coach of the Dallas 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 after Dennis Erickson
was named head coach.
A college standout on Miami's 2 national championships (1989, 1991), Armstead's pro prospects were diminished after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament
his sophomore season. As a result, he was not drafted
until the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft
, when he was selected by the New York Giants
.
Armstead was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U
, which premiered December 12, 2009 on ESPN
.
er, elected between 1997 and 2001. Armstead had 752 career tackle
s with forty sacks and 12 interceptions for 175 yards.
Following a nine-year career with the Giants, he was signed to a three-year, $4.5 million deal by the Washington Redskins
, where he played for two additional seasons.
He signed with the Carolina 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.
on Spike TV.
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...
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...
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...
who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
between 1993 and 2003. He played college football at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
.
High school career
Armstead attended David W. Carter High SchoolDavid W. Carter High School
David Wendel Carter High School is a public school located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . David W. Carter High School, which covers grades 9-12, is a part of the Dallas Independent School District....
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, where he was coached by Freddie James
Freddie James
Freddie James is a renowned former American football coach. He played under Billy Nicks at Prairie View A&M in the late 1950s, before working in a steel plant for a couple of years, then as a physical therapist in Houston, Texas. His former coach Nicks later recommended him for high school football...
. Armstead was part of a highly talented team that featured four other future NFL players — Clifton Abraham
Clifton Abraham
Clifton Eugene Abraham was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears, and the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Florida State University. He played high school football at David W...
, Joe Burch
Joe Burch
Joe Burch is a former American football offensive and defensive lineman.-Early years:Burch prepped at David W. Carter High School in Dallas, Texas, where he won the 1988 5A Texas state championship alongside Jessie Armstead and Clifton Abraham...
, Le'Shai Maston
Le'Shai Maston
Le'Shai Edwoin Maston is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Baylor University. Maston is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity....
, Darius Smith — and won the 1988 5A state championship (however, the title was later forfeited due to eligibility infringements).
Armstead was considered the top high school football talent in Texas as well as nationwide by recruiting analysts. 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.
Fellow D-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.
College career
Recruited by Jimmy JohnsonJimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
, Armstead chose to attend the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
. However, weeks later, Johnson left Miami to take over as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. 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 after Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
was named head coach.
A college standout on Miami's 2 national championships (1989, 1991), Armstead's pro prospects were diminished after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
his sophomore season. As a result, he was not drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
until the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft
1993 NFL Draft
The 1993 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 25-26, 1993...
, when he was selected by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Armstead was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U
The U (documentary)
The U is a 2009 documentary film produced by Miami based media studio rakontur and directed by Billy Corben. The U covers the rise and dominance of the Miami Hurricanes football team during the late 1980s and early 1990s....
, which premiered December 12, 2009 on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.
Professional career
Armstead was a five time Pro BowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
er, elected between 1997 and 2001. Armstead had 752 career tackle
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....
s with forty sacks and 12 interceptions for 175 yards.
Following a nine-year career with the Giants, he was signed to a three-year, $4.5 million deal by the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, where he played for two additional seasons.
He signed with the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
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.
Coaching career
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.Film and TV career
In February 2008, Armstead was featured as one of the pros on Pros vs JoesPros vs Joes
Pros vs. Joes is an American physical reality game show that airs on Spike TV. The show features male amateur contestants matching themselves against professional athletes in a series of athletic feats related to the expertise sport of the Pro they are facing...
on Spike TV.