Johnny Armstrong

For the border reiver, see Johnnie Armstrong.

Johnny Armstrong
Personal information
Born:(1897-08-10)August 10, 1897
Hutchinson, Kansas, U.S.
Died:April 30, 1960(1960-04-30) (aged 62)
Dubuque, Iowa, U.S.
Career information
College:University of Dubuque
Position:
Career history
As a player:
As a coach:
Head coaching record
Career:7–8–3
Record at Pro Football Reference
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

John Allen Armstrong Jr. (August 10, 1897 – April 30, 1960)[1][2] was an American football player and coach.

Armstrong was born in Hutchinson, Kansas.[3] From 1918 to 1922, he attended the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa, where he was a four-sport athlete. A quarterback in college, Armstrong helped the school's football team win conference titles in 1919 and 1920. In addition, he received varsity letters in baseball, basketball, and track.[4] Professionally, he played on the Rock Island Independents of the National Football League (NFL), and later the first American Football League, from 1923 to 1926 as an end, halfback, and quarterback.[5] The Green Bay Press-Gazette named Armstrong a third-team All-Pro in 1923.[6] That season, Armstrong was the NFL leader in passing yards and passes intercepted, according to unofficial statistics.[2] In 1924, Armstrong coached the Independents to a 5–2–2 record, and a fifth-place finish.[7] For his last professional football season, 1926, he also served as coach for Rock Island in the AFL; the Independents were 2–6–1 that year.[2]

Armstrong also played minor league baseball for the Watertown Cubs, Dubuque Climbers/Dubs/Ironmen, Oklahoma City Indians, and Davenport Blue Sox from 1921 to 1929.[1] He was the head football and basketball coach at Columbia College—now known as Loras College—in Dubuque, in addition to managing a recreation hall.[2][8][9] In 1960, Armstrong died in Dubuque.[3]

  1. ^ a b "John Armstrong". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved February 24, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d Maxymuk, John (2012). NFL Head Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary, 1920–2011. McFarland & Company. pp. 354–355. ISBN 9780786465576.
  3. ^ a b "John Armstrong". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  4. ^ "Johnny Armstrong ('22)". University of Dubuque. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  5. ^ "Johnny Armstrong". Database Football. Archived from the original on January 4, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  6. ^ Hogrogian, John (1982). "All-Pros of the Early NFL" (PDF). Coffin Corner. 4 (11). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 18, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2017.
  7. ^ "John Armstrong Coaching Results". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved November 19, 2008.
  8. ^ "Coaching Records". Loras College. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  9. ^ "History of Loras College". Loras College. Retrieved February 6, 2018.