Temple University Athletics
Photo by: Joseph V. Labolito/Temple University
Second to None, Armstead Serves as Decisive Offensive Weapon
10.27.16 | Football
Football draws a number of unique and interesting personalities into its ranks, but usually the most memorable are those who seek out the spotlight and ask for the interview. The ones who look around for the reporters, smile for the camera and enjoy the attention of a career within a major collegiate program.
Ryquell Armstead is — from the moment following the handshake — clearly not one of those types.
He swivels back and forth in his chair throughout the interview, answering questions concisely and with a certain poise rarely found in true sophomores. The media may not be his enemy, but it's obvious Armstead would be the last person to hope for extra clips of his play on the Saturday evening news.
The same quiet work ethic translates into his perspective regarding his role within the flourishing Temple offense, where he has been consistently utilized at running back over the course of the past two seasons.
"Personally, I just want to help the team and be wherever they need me," Armstead said. "I just want to win, and I hate to lose. I just come out to compete, whether it's blocking or running, just whatever they need me to do."
No complaints about lack of carries. No boasts about past plays on the field. No unnecessary criticisms of fellow teammates. Just a cool, calm professionalism every program wants in its players, but few are fortunate enough to possess.
Carving Out a Niche
The Owls' stable of running backs is no secret. Behind dynamic senior starter Jahad Thomas, head coach Matt Rhule has recruited a group of talented athletes capable of contributing early and often for Temple. And at the head of that unit is none other than Armstead, who has already made an impact in just the single season he's seen the field.
As a more traditionally sized back compared to Thomas' smaller, more elusive build, Armstead has transformed into the workhorse back within the Temple offense.
"In terms of short yardage situations, I'm not the biggest back in the country," Thomas said. "He's taken some loads off me getting him in there to get that short yardage. It definitely allows me to play even faster and longer because I'm not putting that wear and tear on my body. It takes a load off of me, and with Ryquell he's definitely grown as a player and really as a young man. I just continue to see good things from him."
Thomas, who sat out the first two games of this season with a hand injury, was banged up on occasion throughout last season. Fortunately for the Owls, Armstead's ability to take on the duties at tailback proved to be a saving grace for the offense, which relied on a healthy Thomas to provide spark in critical situations.
Then true freshman Jager Gardner and redshirt freshman David Hood saw action as well, allowing a multitude of options and relief for a unit that utilized its ground game in sync with a high-flying air raid.
In terms of taking on the styles of Armstead's three compatriots, the sophomore began quoting his head coach, denoting just how important maintaining your own identity was to offensive production.
"That's one thing Coach Rhule has instilled on us, just that everyone's different," Armstead quipped. "Don't be something that you're not. And sometimes it's hard, watching Jahad or Hood break a spin move and show that their shifty backs, and if I get too comfortable in a game I'll start doing things I don't normally do. I just have to do what I do best, and that's being a power back…that means running full steam, putting your head down when you need to. I would say I'm a power back with speed, which I think is pretty deadly."
Armstead undeniably takes pride in his run style, one that mixes quickness and acceleration with a certain bulldozer effect. His game is uniquely his around Temple and, for the most part, college football.
The power back did, however, find some inspiration from older generations of tailbacks, naming off former San Diego Chargers stud Landanian Tomlinson and the hulking New York Giants former starter Brandon Jacobs as his idols.
"When I started playing running back, I loved Landanian Tomlinson," Armstead joked. "I was always stiff-arming people in little league, but as I got older, I developed this love for Brandon Jacobs. I loved how he ran the ball, and I saw a lot of me in his style."
At the end of the day, though, the sophomore running back looks to his fellow teammates for motivation and inspiration, utilizing the group's daily competition to push him to new heights on the field, in the weight room and during film sessions.
"I feel like our relationship is getting closer and closer everyday," Armstead said. "During the offseason, I feel like they made me a way better athlete and player. They really pushed my body to do things I thought I'd never be able to do. Just from a running perspective and staying in shape, everything we do is a competition. Without them, I don't think I would the player I am and have the success I'm currently having."
The Dynamic Two-Back Punch
With the return of Thomas against Penn State two weeks ago, the offense was jolted to life on multiple occasions by a sharp cut, end-around or bull rush up the middle. The success can be attributed to the two-back formation, which features both Thomas and Armstead in counterbalancing roles.
As the sophomore put it, no defense can shut down two tier one backs consistently.
"I think the two-back sets are very dynamic," Armstead pointed out. "It's exactly what I played in high school, because at the end of the day, you're not going to be able to stop two Division I backs. It's either I'm going to get shut down and he's going to have a big game, or I'm going to produce and he's going to get swarmed. If we both get going, it's just unstoppable. It gives the offense an advantage, because both of us can pass, run routes and catch the ball too."
According to Thomas, the ability for the offense to even use such formations falls back on Armstead's open mind to the game. The young back will accept free guidance from most anyone, including his peers on the team.
"When we're in there watching film together, or even off the field, he'll take advice," Thomas said. "He listens really well, which is impressive because sometimes as a young guy it's hard for you to be assertive when coaches tell you stuff. Sometimes it's better to hear it from your peers, and he listens really well. He'll take advice from anybody, and he's not afraid to give it as well. If there's a play I may have missed, I'll come back to the sideline and same thing but vice versa."
Over the course of two seasons, though, the advice on the coaching side has come from two different sources. During Armstead's freshman run, Marcus Satterfield headed up the running backs unit, but a head coaching offer from Tennessee Tech proved too good to pass up.
Now, Chris Wiesehan handles the group, and his experience within college football has granted Armstead a multitude of invaluable knowledge.
"Both coaches have been great, but to be honest, this offseason has broken down the game for me," Armstead related. "I didn't really know as much last year as I know now, and that's mostly thanks to Coach Wiesehan. He's showed me blocking schemes with the line and the receiver's routes, so I know what the line has to do and the wideouts do. I went from just knowing what I have to do to knowing what everyone has to do. I understand who my fullback has to do, who he's blocking…just little things I didn't know last year. The whole experience has helped me grow as a player."
On the player side of the things, Thomas has served as a mentor for the young tailback, providing a blueprint for how to improve his game. The big thing for Armstead, though, was increasing his poise and breaking his complacency.
"Jahad's taught me to have a lot of confidence," Armstead continued. "He's motivated me, and he's one of the big ones that has pushed me to go above and beyond. I do get comfortable at times, but coming in everyday to work and try and beat him just have motivated me to be better and its starting to show."
The counsel paid off sooner rather than later, as the sophomore jumped directly into the action his first time on the sideline last season against Penn State. Thomas credited the immediate impact to his protégé's quick learning curve and dedicated work ethic.
"He was definitely one of them guys that evolved and learned the system very quickly," Thomas said. "He's worked really hard. We have different styles of running backs, so he's more of that downhill type of guy, short yardage back. When he first came in, I didn't know he'd be that size and be that quick. I didn't think he would be as fast as he is. To see him grow, in terms of pass protection and picking up the offense as quickly as he did, his future's pretty bright."
Hometown Motivation
Hailing from Millville, New Jersey, just an hour drive east of Temple, Armstead's journey to Philadelphia starts, and ends, with one person — his one-year old daughter. As the inspiration behind his reason to play college ball and receive his degree from a prestigious institution, Armstead's daughter remains a key part of his life.
"Most of my time I spend on face time just talking with my daughter," Armstead said. "She's one and she's very loveable. She brings a lot of joy, and every time I face time her, it brightens my day. It keeps me motivated and pushing for success. She's one of the big reasons I'm here, and I just enjoy all the time I get to go and spend time with her."
As such, it comes as no surprise the sophomore finds himself traveling back and forth between Philadelphia and Millville on a consistent basis, finding as much extra time as possible to visit with his one-year old.
"I try to go home after every home game, just to go see her," Armstead continued. "I come back Sundays to watch film and get locked in for the week. Any chance I get I go home to see her, and it's only about a 45 minute drive."
As a high school running back, he failed to start out with a similar amount of motivation he currently possesses. In fact, Armstead struggled to maintain his place on the team as recently as his sophomore year of high school.
"I started off my sophomore year getting kicked off the team, getting in a lot of trouble, but I turned things around my junior year," Armstead said. "I had a big opportunity when the starting running back went down, and I stepped up for two games and ran for almost 600 yards and ten touchdowns. I had my shot getting recruited, and I took it."
Fortunately for the young back, the massive stats drew the attention of multiple programs around the northeast, ranging from Penn State and Rutgers to Virginia and Temple. Similar to how the Owls utilize Thomas and Armstead now, Millville had a two-back punch of its own, both of which were catching the eye of recruiters in the area.
When Temple came calling, though, the Owls came only for Armstead, and in the end it was the Philadelphia-based university's close proximity to Millville and impressive academics that sealed the deal.
"The other running back was committed to Purdue and most every coach who came around looked at both of us," Armstead discussed. "Temple, though, they came for just me, and that led me to Philadelphia. I did some research, and I saw the academics were strong, plus I felt like I had a chance to come here and get some playing time as a freshman."
As for life after Temple, though, the sophomore has big plans for his career. First, a shot at the professional level, where Armstead believes his size and speed will give him a solid opportunity.
A major point the young athlete made, however, was no amount of NFL interest could force him to skip graduation, noting just how significant furthering his education is in his life.
"Number one is definitely go to the NFL," Armstead said. "That's everyone's goal, really, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't mine. At the same time, though, nothing's going to stop me from graduating, not even the pros."
If the professional game fails to come through, the sophomore has a backup plan prepped and ready as well, although it's safe to say it still involves football.
"I plan to potentially be a teacher, or maybe even a coach one day, that way I'm still around football," Armstead said. "i have been playing since I was six, so I won't be able to get it out of my life completely. Being able to get a degree so I can coach and teach, just do things I love, is something I want to get out of Temple."
Working with young men both on and off the football field strikes Armstead as both admirable and interesting, giving young athletes in similar situations to himself a role model. However, success in the coaching field has its own perks, such as movement up into higher levels of competition.
"At first I want to be a high school coach and give back, but as things go on, I would love to have the opportunity to be a college coach and keep working my way up."
Ryquell Armstead is — from the moment following the handshake — clearly not one of those types.
He swivels back and forth in his chair throughout the interview, answering questions concisely and with a certain poise rarely found in true sophomores. The media may not be his enemy, but it's obvious Armstead would be the last person to hope for extra clips of his play on the Saturday evening news.
The same quiet work ethic translates into his perspective regarding his role within the flourishing Temple offense, where he has been consistently utilized at running back over the course of the past two seasons.
"Personally, I just want to help the team and be wherever they need me," Armstead said. "I just want to win, and I hate to lose. I just come out to compete, whether it's blocking or running, just whatever they need me to do."
No complaints about lack of carries. No boasts about past plays on the field. No unnecessary criticisms of fellow teammates. Just a cool, calm professionalism every program wants in its players, but few are fortunate enough to possess.
Carving Out a Niche
The Owls' stable of running backs is no secret. Behind dynamic senior starter Jahad Thomas, head coach Matt Rhule has recruited a group of talented athletes capable of contributing early and often for Temple. And at the head of that unit is none other than Armstead, who has already made an impact in just the single season he's seen the field.
As a more traditionally sized back compared to Thomas' smaller, more elusive build, Armstead has transformed into the workhorse back within the Temple offense.
"In terms of short yardage situations, I'm not the biggest back in the country," Thomas said. "He's taken some loads off me getting him in there to get that short yardage. It definitely allows me to play even faster and longer because I'm not putting that wear and tear on my body. It takes a load off of me, and with Ryquell he's definitely grown as a player and really as a young man. I just continue to see good things from him."
Thomas, who sat out the first two games of this season with a hand injury, was banged up on occasion throughout last season. Fortunately for the Owls, Armstead's ability to take on the duties at tailback proved to be a saving grace for the offense, which relied on a healthy Thomas to provide spark in critical situations.
Then true freshman Jager Gardner and redshirt freshman David Hood saw action as well, allowing a multitude of options and relief for a unit that utilized its ground game in sync with a high-flying air raid.
In terms of taking on the styles of Armstead's three compatriots, the sophomore began quoting his head coach, denoting just how important maintaining your own identity was to offensive production.
"That's one thing Coach Rhule has instilled on us, just that everyone's different," Armstead quipped. "Don't be something that you're not. And sometimes it's hard, watching Jahad or Hood break a spin move and show that their shifty backs, and if I get too comfortable in a game I'll start doing things I don't normally do. I just have to do what I do best, and that's being a power back…that means running full steam, putting your head down when you need to. I would say I'm a power back with speed, which I think is pretty deadly."
Armstead undeniably takes pride in his run style, one that mixes quickness and acceleration with a certain bulldozer effect. His game is uniquely his around Temple and, for the most part, college football.
The power back did, however, find some inspiration from older generations of tailbacks, naming off former San Diego Chargers stud Landanian Tomlinson and the hulking New York Giants former starter Brandon Jacobs as his idols.
"When I started playing running back, I loved Landanian Tomlinson," Armstead joked. "I was always stiff-arming people in little league, but as I got older, I developed this love for Brandon Jacobs. I loved how he ran the ball, and I saw a lot of me in his style."
At the end of the day, though, the sophomore running back looks to his fellow teammates for motivation and inspiration, utilizing the group's daily competition to push him to new heights on the field, in the weight room and during film sessions.
"I feel like our relationship is getting closer and closer everyday," Armstead said. "During the offseason, I feel like they made me a way better athlete and player. They really pushed my body to do things I thought I'd never be able to do. Just from a running perspective and staying in shape, everything we do is a competition. Without them, I don't think I would the player I am and have the success I'm currently having."
The Dynamic Two-Back Punch
With the return of Thomas against Penn State two weeks ago, the offense was jolted to life on multiple occasions by a sharp cut, end-around or bull rush up the middle. The success can be attributed to the two-back formation, which features both Thomas and Armstead in counterbalancing roles.
As the sophomore put it, no defense can shut down two tier one backs consistently.
"I think the two-back sets are very dynamic," Armstead pointed out. "It's exactly what I played in high school, because at the end of the day, you're not going to be able to stop two Division I backs. It's either I'm going to get shut down and he's going to have a big game, or I'm going to produce and he's going to get swarmed. If we both get going, it's just unstoppable. It gives the offense an advantage, because both of us can pass, run routes and catch the ball too."
According to Thomas, the ability for the offense to even use such formations falls back on Armstead's open mind to the game. The young back will accept free guidance from most anyone, including his peers on the team.
"When we're in there watching film together, or even off the field, he'll take advice," Thomas said. "He listens really well, which is impressive because sometimes as a young guy it's hard for you to be assertive when coaches tell you stuff. Sometimes it's better to hear it from your peers, and he listens really well. He'll take advice from anybody, and he's not afraid to give it as well. If there's a play I may have missed, I'll come back to the sideline and same thing but vice versa."
Over the course of two seasons, though, the advice on the coaching side has come from two different sources. During Armstead's freshman run, Marcus Satterfield headed up the running backs unit, but a head coaching offer from Tennessee Tech proved too good to pass up.
Now, Chris Wiesehan handles the group, and his experience within college football has granted Armstead a multitude of invaluable knowledge.
"Both coaches have been great, but to be honest, this offseason has broken down the game for me," Armstead related. "I didn't really know as much last year as I know now, and that's mostly thanks to Coach Wiesehan. He's showed me blocking schemes with the line and the receiver's routes, so I know what the line has to do and the wideouts do. I went from just knowing what I have to do to knowing what everyone has to do. I understand who my fullback has to do, who he's blocking…just little things I didn't know last year. The whole experience has helped me grow as a player."
On the player side of the things, Thomas has served as a mentor for the young tailback, providing a blueprint for how to improve his game. The big thing for Armstead, though, was increasing his poise and breaking his complacency.
"Jahad's taught me to have a lot of confidence," Armstead continued. "He's motivated me, and he's one of the big ones that has pushed me to go above and beyond. I do get comfortable at times, but coming in everyday to work and try and beat him just have motivated me to be better and its starting to show."
The counsel paid off sooner rather than later, as the sophomore jumped directly into the action his first time on the sideline last season against Penn State. Thomas credited the immediate impact to his protégé's quick learning curve and dedicated work ethic.
"He was definitely one of them guys that evolved and learned the system very quickly," Thomas said. "He's worked really hard. We have different styles of running backs, so he's more of that downhill type of guy, short yardage back. When he first came in, I didn't know he'd be that size and be that quick. I didn't think he would be as fast as he is. To see him grow, in terms of pass protection and picking up the offense as quickly as he did, his future's pretty bright."
Hometown Motivation
Hailing from Millville, New Jersey, just an hour drive east of Temple, Armstead's journey to Philadelphia starts, and ends, with one person — his one-year old daughter. As the inspiration behind his reason to play college ball and receive his degree from a prestigious institution, Armstead's daughter remains a key part of his life.
"Most of my time I spend on face time just talking with my daughter," Armstead said. "She's one and she's very loveable. She brings a lot of joy, and every time I face time her, it brightens my day. It keeps me motivated and pushing for success. She's one of the big reasons I'm here, and I just enjoy all the time I get to go and spend time with her."
As such, it comes as no surprise the sophomore finds himself traveling back and forth between Philadelphia and Millville on a consistent basis, finding as much extra time as possible to visit with his one-year old.
"I try to go home after every home game, just to go see her," Armstead continued. "I come back Sundays to watch film and get locked in for the week. Any chance I get I go home to see her, and it's only about a 45 minute drive."
As a high school running back, he failed to start out with a similar amount of motivation he currently possesses. In fact, Armstead struggled to maintain his place on the team as recently as his sophomore year of high school.
"I started off my sophomore year getting kicked off the team, getting in a lot of trouble, but I turned things around my junior year," Armstead said. "I had a big opportunity when the starting running back went down, and I stepped up for two games and ran for almost 600 yards and ten touchdowns. I had my shot getting recruited, and I took it."
Fortunately for the young back, the massive stats drew the attention of multiple programs around the northeast, ranging from Penn State and Rutgers to Virginia and Temple. Similar to how the Owls utilize Thomas and Armstead now, Millville had a two-back punch of its own, both of which were catching the eye of recruiters in the area.
When Temple came calling, though, the Owls came only for Armstead, and in the end it was the Philadelphia-based university's close proximity to Millville and impressive academics that sealed the deal.
"The other running back was committed to Purdue and most every coach who came around looked at both of us," Armstead discussed. "Temple, though, they came for just me, and that led me to Philadelphia. I did some research, and I saw the academics were strong, plus I felt like I had a chance to come here and get some playing time as a freshman."
As for life after Temple, though, the sophomore has big plans for his career. First, a shot at the professional level, where Armstead believes his size and speed will give him a solid opportunity.
A major point the young athlete made, however, was no amount of NFL interest could force him to skip graduation, noting just how significant furthering his education is in his life.
"Number one is definitely go to the NFL," Armstead said. "That's everyone's goal, really, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't mine. At the same time, though, nothing's going to stop me from graduating, not even the pros."
If the professional game fails to come through, the sophomore has a backup plan prepped and ready as well, although it's safe to say it still involves football.
"I plan to potentially be a teacher, or maybe even a coach one day, that way I'm still around football," Armstead said. "i have been playing since I was six, so I won't be able to get it out of my life completely. Being able to get a degree so I can coach and teach, just do things I love, is something I want to get out of Temple."
Working with young men both on and off the football field strikes Armstead as both admirable and interesting, giving young athletes in similar situations to himself a role model. However, success in the coaching field has its own perks, such as movement up into higher levels of competition.
"At first I want to be a high school coach and give back, but as things go on, I would love to have the opportunity to be a college coach and keep working my way up."
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