Halfback, Denver
Broncos
Age: 24 (Nov.
15)
2nd
season in pro football & with Broncos
College: Purdue
Height: 5’10” Weight: 196
Prelude:
Armstrong
rushed for 3315 yards in college and, as a senior in 1972, was a consensus
first-team All-American and placed eighth in Heisman Trophy voting. The Broncos
chose him in the first round (ninth overall) of the ’73 NFL draft and he saw
limited action as the backup to star HB Floyd Little. Tried at fullback in
1974, he took over at halfback when Little was injured.
1974 Season Summary
Appeared and
started in all 14 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Rushing
Attempts – 263
[3]
Most
attempts, game – 31 (for 183 yds.) vs. Houston 12/8
Yards – 1407 [1]
Most yards,
game – 183 yards (on 31 carries) vs. Houston 12/8
Average gain
– 5.3 [1]
TDs – 9 [3,
tied with Sam Cunningham, Chuck Foreman & Larry Csonka]
100-yard
rushing games – 7
Pass
Receiving
Receptions – 38
Most
receptions, game – 6 (for 96 yds.) vs. Kansas City 11/18
Yards – 405
Most yards,
game – 96 (on 6 catches) vs. Kansas City 11/18
Average gain
– 10.7
TDs – 3
Kickoff
Returns
Returns – 16
Yards – 386
Most yards,
game – 72 (on 3 ret.) vs. Pittsburgh 9/22
Average per
return – 24.1 [19]
TDs – 0
Longest
return – 41 yards
All-Purpose
yards – 2198 [2]
Scoring
TDs – 12 [3,
tied with Mack Herron & Tom Sullivan]
Points – 72 [11,
tied with Mack Herron & Tom Sullivan]
Awards & Honors:
1st
team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, Pro Football Weekly
2nd
team All-NFL: NEA
1st
team All-AFC: AP, UPI, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
Pro Bowl
Broncos went 7-6-1
to finish second in the AFC West.
Aftermath:
Armstrong was
sidelined by a rib injury that cost him ten games in 1975, and he carried only
31 times for 155 yards and caught one pass. He bounced back in’76 to rush for
1008 yards on 247 attempts (4.1 avg.) and catch 39 passes for 457 more yards,
and was named to the Pro Bowl. An ankle injury limited Armstrong to 489 rushing
yards in the 1977 AFC Championship season and his production remained similarly
low for the remainder of his career, which ended with the 1980 season. Overall,
in eight years with the Broncos, Armstrong rushed for 4453 yards on 1023
carries (4.4 avg.) and caught 131 passes for 1302 yards, scoring a total of 32
touchdowns.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
