Since the early 1900s, the game of football has been a tutor for more than just the quarterback sneak and shotgun offense. The field has become a classroom on which teamwork, finding a way to look up after defeat, learning to take the high and respectable road during victory, and wearing the pride of your team and university on your shirtsleeve is taught. For many, the call of the gridiron is more than just a game. For defensive back Joe Armstead (1981-82), it served as a means to prepare him for his lifelong career of courage, determination and pride in the U.S. Army.
"Wow, where do I even start to describe how it felt to suit up for the Illini?" Armstead said. "The University of Illinois was a great place to attend college. With its great history and tradition, playing in the Big Ten for the Fighting Illini was truly one of the greatest individual highlights in my life."
Armstead, who went by Charles while in college, was a 1982 All-Big Ten selection and transferred to Illinois for the start of his junior season. A stellar presence in the defensive backfield, he is listed in the top-10 for most passes broken up in a season with 12 in each of his two seasons as a Fighting Illini, leading the team both years and ranking him seventh all-time on the career list. In one of the most memorable games during his career on Oct. 16, 1982, Armstead registered four break-ups against then-No. 15-ranked Ohio State, a game in which the Buckeyes barely escaped an upset in a 26-21 victory.
The San Fernando, Calif., native played alongside some of the greatest to play the game for the Fighting Illini, including Mike Bass, Tim Brewster, Mark Butkus, Tony Eason, Mike Martin, Craig Swoope, Jack Trudeau, David Williams, Oliver Williams (his college roommate) and Kirby Wilson, just to name a few.
However, all of Armstead's experiences on the field became just a preview of what he would be doing after graduation.
"Student life on campus, while hard to balance at times, was an experience that will last forever," Armstead. "Coach Mike White (1980-87) and his staff brought a lot of motivating tools to the table and they were committed to live by them on a daily basis. We were taught to have a good work ethic and to be a good person both on the field and in the classroom."
Armstead earned his Bachelor of Science degree in occupational and practical arts in January of 1988, after a brief stint with the Washington Redskins. Following his time in the NFL, he embarked on a career in the United States Football League (USFL), where he played for the Chicago Blitz, San Antonio Gunslingers and made the roster for the Arizona Outlaws before the league folded in 1986. However, while his time in the pros proved to be a spark in Armstead's football career, his travels through the rosters after graduation would be bring him much more than he had bargained for.
"I first met my wife, Delia Lynette, in San Antonio in 1985," Armstead said. "I saw her after church service and my roommate at the time, Clyde Johnson, happened to be dating her sister. I immediately asked her to introduce us and here we are 20 years later. My family and God are the reasons I get up in the morning. I could not have made it this far without their support."
After a year of marriage, Armstead hung up his football gear for good and embarked on what he called "becoming serious about life and doing something out of the ordinary."
"I had not planned on going into the army after college," Armstead said. "I remember a brief conversation with my family where they tossed out the idea of going into the military, but I had given it about two seconds-worth of thought. But, before I knew it, in the fall of 1987, I was marching in army greens."
Now, 18 years and 10 months later, Armstead is a First Sergeant in the U.S. Army, with his unit currently deployed on a rotating cycle in the desert in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom as combat communicators, providing state-of-the-art information technology.
"When you are talking about the first sergeant you are talking abut the life-blood of the Army," said Armstead of his position. "The first sergeant holds formations, instructs platoon sergeants, advises the Commander and assists in training of all enlisted members. There can be no substitute for this position or any question of its importance."
Though there is still much to accomplish in the Army, Armstead has already begun to think about the next stage of his live.
"I am a year away from retirement and have thought about a couple of options after the Army," Armstead said. "Option one, I would stay in the communications arena with an interest in Homeland Security. Option two would be to pursue a master's degree in career counseling at the high school or collegiate level and coach football and track. I am currently in pursuit of my master's in education administration."
Stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., Armstead and his wife have settled into the greater Tampa Bay area with their two sons, Joe CC. II, who is 19 years old, and DeRon Lyvette, who is 15 and plays wing-back on the junior varsity football squad.
"The military is truly an amazing organization," Armstead said. "There's a lot to learn and you can never stop learning while being an active member. It has truly made me a humble person in every aspect and I never take anything for granted. Illini football will be something I will never forget, but the feeling of protecting American freedom, the leadership that I have learned and have now been asked to instill in others, my family and, most importantly, God, are things that keep me going every day of my life."
