Former Purdue Football All-American Running Back Otis Armstrong Passes Away at age 70
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Denver Broncos announced Friday that Otis Armstrong, a former Purdue football star and first-round NFL Draft pick, passed away Wednesday at the age of 70.
We’re saddened to learn of the passing of former Broncos RB and 1973 first-round pick Otis Armstrong.
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) October 15, 2021
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In three college seasons, Armstrong recorded 3,312 rushing yards, 389 receiving yards and 22 total touchdowns with the Boilermakers. He added seven more scores on returns and was named the 1972 Big Ten Most Valuable Player after leading the conference in rushing and total offense.
The first-team All-Big Ten and first team All-American went on to be drafted with the ninth pick of the 1973 NFL Draft by the Broncos. He played all eight of his professional years in Denver.
As a Bronco, Armstrong was twice named to the Pro Bowl (1974, 1976) and was an All-Pro selection in 1974. In just his second season, he led the league with 1,407 yards on the ground and 5.3 yards per attempt.
He tallied 4,453 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns during his time in the NFL. Armstrong averaged 4.4 yards per carry. The former Boilermaker also appeared in Super Bowl XII with the Broncos, but the team lost 27-10 to the Dallas Cowboys.
Following his retirement, Armstrong was selected to Purdue's All-Time team in 1987 as part of a celebration of 100 years of football at Purdue. He was inducted into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.
Armstrong was inducted to the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and lived near Denver after retiring from the league.
On May 16, 2012, Armstrong was selected for induction into the College Hall of Fame, becoming the 13th Boilermaker to ever be inducted.
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.