For former Metro East prep football standouts Terry Hawthorne (East St. Louis) and Terron Armstead (Cahokia), running out of the tunnel with their new NFL teams had to fulfill the dreams of a lifetime.
But with Week 3 of the preseason fast approaching, there is plenty of work to do for Hawthorne, who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Armstead, who is with the New Orleans Saints.
“Camp is coming to a close, but it’s really just about the midway point of the team development process,” Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a recent interview.
Hawthorne, the Steelers’ fifth-round draft pick, made his NFL debut last Monday night against the Washington Redskins at Fed Ex Field. Hawthorne had some minor knee surgery during the off-season, which slowed him during much of training camp.
With the Steelers keeping only nine or 10 defensive backs, Hawthorne had to make a big first impression to make the team. He made the most of his first action in the NFL against the Redskins. With 13 minutes and 46 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Hawthorne recovered a Washington fumble at the Redskins’ 40-yard line. Terry took a big step on Monday night toward making the final roster on the big stage if he stays healthy.
I know some of you might think I’m crazy for talking about him in this manner when it’s only a pre-season game. But where we are from, we take pride in our kids’ achievements. Whether he makes the team or not, I am still proud of him. And if I don’t write about it, it might not be talked about at all in our local media.
Terron Armstead, the pride of Cahokia who played college ball at the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB), is doing his thing with the Saints. The 6’5” 304-pound tackle is currently third on the Saints’ unofficial depth chart.
Currently listed as a tackle, Armstead has the versatility to play either on the left or right side. Early in the preseason, the rookie has been playing on the left side of the Saints’ offensive line. The sources around the Saints’ camp are very pleased with Terron, and expect him to be ready to contribute if one of the starters at one of the tackle positions gets injured.
“We have a lot of confidence in Terron,” one team source told me. “Sure, he’s got a lot of footwork and technical things he needs to work on. But in the long run, we see a very bright future for him.”
Coming from an HBCU in UAPB, Armstead turned heads during this year’s NFL combine by running one of the fastest 40-yard dashes by an offensive lineman in the history of the event. Armstead turned in a time of 4.71 seconds.
Always humble and very respectful in high school, Armstead hasn’t changed during his recent climb to potential stardom in the NFL. In a conversation the last time UAPB played in the St. Louis Gateway Classic football game, head coach Monte Coleman had nothing but praise for the gentle giant.
And with preseason games remaining against Houston and Miami, Armstead will continue to get his opportunity to learn from good left tackles in starter Charles Brown and his backup, Jason Smith. He will also continue to impress Saints head coach Sean Payton as he evaluates his roster in preparation for the home opener against conference rival Atlanta Falcons.
Good luck, Terron Armstead!
