Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2019 Notre Dame Football Preview
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60 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2019 FOOTBALL PREVIEW better raw numbers or flash than Riddick, but none combined all the elements like he did. Just as significant was that the physical components were augmented by an unbri- dled work ethic stemming for his roots as a three-star recruit from a region not esteemed as a football hotbed. "People will still say, 'Oh, he played in Kansas, he's not that good,'" Armstrong told Blue & Gold Illustrated prior to enrolling. "It's fine. When we step on the field, all the talking stops. It's motivation to perform well … I feel I can play with anyone. "I just have to stay humble and be confi- dent and continue working hard to develop my craft." He's not in Kansas anymore, but excelling in the big-time is no longer a fantasy either. The 12-1 campaign in 2018 that saw Arm- strong rush for 383 yards, 5.3 yards per carry and seven touchdowns, plus snag 14 passes for 159 yards, was the appetizer prior to what those in the football office believe can be an impending feast. That transition year at running back is expected to reap benefits this year. "That first game against Michigan — I was like a deer in the headlights just trying to figure out how comfortable I was going to be," said Armstrong, who scored on 13- and four-yard runs in the 24-17 triumph against the vaunted and veteran Wolverines defense. "Having that experience this year, now I just try to make plays and know what to expect from defenses and not have to think a lot. "The burden of, 'What's going to happen? How is this going to go, how is the crowd going to react?' — I think all that is going to go out the window. I'm just going to get the opportunity to show what I can do. "This will be my third year here. There's been a ton of guys who have paved the way and shown me how to be good here. I'm just following the lead of the guys who have paved the way. I'm not the type of person who is going to be a loud guy. "Most of the time I'm trying to lead by example and let my play and my work ethic show. I try to be that same guy when things aren't going right as a testament to fighting adversity." Armstrong tasted his own setbacks last season. After rushing for 245 yards and catching seven passes for 88 yards during the 4-0 start without Williams, Armstrong incurred a bursa sac infection in his left knee in practice on a small cut that needed imme- diate surgery. He was never quite the same the rest of the season (an injured ankle also affected him), rushing for 138 yards total. The learning curve in college football goes far beyond the physical. "Everybody gets hurt," Armstrong said. "It's a long season, so it's learning how to take hits and learning how to take care of my body this offseason. I've just learned how much goes into college football. "It's not just coming in and putting on pads and practicing and stretching before- hand. It's going into the hot tub, the cold tub, it's physically preparing your body to go into battle every day, regardless if you're practicing or not." Speed, Power And Knowledge In this spring's Blue-Gold Game while going against the No. 1 defense, Armstrong, who did lose a fumble, amassed 156 yards of total offense in just more than one half of action versus primarily the No. 1 defense. He rushed for a game-high 85 yards on nine carries, and tied senior Chase Claypool for most receptions with four for 71 yards. "Just like riding a bike," Armstrong said of his natural role as a receiver out of the backfield. Learning how to run with a lower pad level also has become more evident — "It's Armstrong's standout prep career as a wide receiver yielded 172 career catches for 3,744 yards, high- lighted by a Kansas state-record 45 receiving touchdowns. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA