Norris Armstrong
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Biographical details | |
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Born | Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. | September 15, 1898
Died | October 11, 1981 Danville, Kentucky, U.S. | (aged 83)
Playing career | |
1918–1921 | Centre |
1922 | Milwaukee Badgers |
Position(s) | Tackle, halfback |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1922 | Centenary (assistant) |
1923–1930 | Carroll (WI) |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 44–11–6 |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Awards | |
All-Southern (1919) All-time Centre team | |
Phillip Norris "Army" Armstrong (September 15, 1898 – October 11, 1981) was an American football player and coach. He played college football at Centre College in Danville, Kentucky from 1918 to 1919 and professionally for one season, in 1922, with the Milwaukee Badgers of the National Football League (NFL). Armstong served as the head football coach at Carroll College—now known as Carroll University—Waukesha, Wisconsin from 1923 to 1930, compiling a record of 44–11–6.
Playing career
[edit]Centre
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/1919CentreafterWVU.jpg/200px-1919CentreafterWVU.jpg)
Norris played tackle and halfback for Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and was a key offensive player[1] during the 1921 Centre vs. Harvard football game, and was captain of the team that year.[2] He was also a player on the school's basketball team.[3] Centre College honored his contribution to the school's athletic program by inducting him into the college's Athletic Hall of Fame.[4] He was a halfback on Centre's all-time football team chosen in 1935.[5]
Milwaukee Badgers
[edit]After graduation from Centre, Norris played professionally for the 1922 season as a tackle for the Milwaukee Badgers of the National Football League (NFL) alongside his college teammate Bo McMillin.[6][7][8]
Coaching career
[edit]Centenary
[edit]Armstrong's first coaching position was in 1922 at Centenary College of Louisiana.[9] Here he was assistant to his college teammate (and future professional teammate) Bo McMillin[10] where they produced an impressive record of eight wins and one loss[11] while outscoring opponents 295 to 41.[12]
Carroll
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a6/Carrollcollegefootball.jpg/220px-Carrollcollegefootball.jpg)
After completing one year as an assistant coach, Armstrong was named the 15th head football at Carroll College—now known as Carroll University—in Waukesha, Wisconsin[13] and he held that position for eight seasons, from 1923 until 1930. His career coaching record at Carroll College was 44–11–6.[14]
Armstrong oversaw one of the most successful periods of the football team at the college.[15] The university honored his contributions by inducting him into the school's "Hall of Fame" in 1973.[16]
Key games for Carroll under Armstrong included the 1925 victory over Great Lakes Naval by a score of 73–0, and an undefeated 1925 season. The program never had anything but winning seasons under Armstrong, with the worst record being 4–3 in 1929; the worst loss that year was a 46–0 defeat by the Iowa Hawkeyes.[17]
After retiring from coaching, Armstrong remained with Carroll College to become athletic director and later a trustee of the college.[18]
Head coaching record
[edit]Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carroll Pioneers () (1923–1930) | |||||||||
1923 | Carroll | 5–3 | |||||||
1924 | Carroll | 6–1–1 | |||||||
1925 | Carroll | 8–0 | |||||||
1926 | Carroll | 5–1–2 | |||||||
1927 | Carroll | 6–1–1 | |||||||
1928 | Carroll | 5–1–1 | |||||||
1929 | Carroll | 4–3 | |||||||
1930 | Carroll | 5–1–1 | |||||||
Carroll: | 44–11–6 | ||||||||
Total: | 44–11–6 |
References
[edit]- ^ College Football Historical Society "Still The Greatest" by Jim Campbell, August 1996
- ^ Centre College Archived August 28, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Centre vs Harvard
- ^ Big Blue History University of Kentucky Basketball vs Centre College, February 8, 1921
- ^ Centre College Athletics Archived January 23, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Hall of Fame
- ^ George Trevor (November 25, 1935). "1921 Team Produces Most Stars For Centre's All-Time Eleven". Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved March 24, 2015 – via Google news.
- ^ JT-SW.com Norris Armstrong
- ^ Database Football Archived January 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine Norris Armstrong
- ^ Database Football Archived February 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine 1922 Milwaukee Badgers
- ^ The Beta Pi[permanent dead link] "Gridiron Coaches" Summer 2003
- ^ Pulaski Past Pulaski County Biographies
- ^ College Football Data Warehouse Archived 2010-02-11 at the Wayback Machine Centenary Yearly Results, 1920-1924
- ^ College Football Data Warehouse Archived 2011-05-25 at the Wayback Machine Centenary College 1922 Results
- ^ Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune September 19, 1923
- ^ Carroll College Archived May 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine Football Coaching Records
- ^ City of Waukesha, Wisconsin "Waukesha's History"
- ^ Carroll College Athletics Archived June 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine Hall of Fame
- ^ Carroll University Archived August 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Season by Season Results
- ^ The Evening Independent "A Football Legend is Dead" October 13, 1981
External links
[edit]- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference