Remembering a Mavericks Coach's College Football Career

With college football kicking off across the country this weekend, we look back on the playing career of a member of the Mavs coaching staff

Feb 21, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic player Darrell Armstrong is inducted into Orlando Magic Hall of Fame by CEO Alex Martins during the first half at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

College football officially kicked off this weekend with high-profile matchups across the country. To celebrate, we're looking back on the college football career of former Dallas Mavericks player and current assistant coach Darrell Armstrong.

Armstrong is a member of Fayetteville State's Athletics Hall of Fame primarily for his contributions to basketball, but he got his start as a kicker on the football team. According to his HoF bio, Armstrong walked onto the basketball team after former head coach Raymond McDougald saw him playing on the intramural courts. He'd become a three-year starter once Jeff Capel II took over the program and Capel even pushed Armstrong to return to football after Armstrong's kicking replacement quit before the 1990 season.

While Fayetteville's statistics only go back to the 2007 season, there are some things that have been made public by Armstrong.

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As a junior, Armstrong would hit a 47-yard field goal to set the school record for longest kick. He'd tie that record in 1990 on homecoming against Livingstone as part of a 20-13 win. That record would stand until 2009.

Apparently, Armstrong's kicking coach told him before that game "Son, you can kick in the NFL if you want, but I know you love basketball." He opted for basketball and that turned fruitful.

Armstrong spent a few years playing overseas before joining the Orlando Magic as a free agent in 1994. He won Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player with the Magic in the 1998-99 season, then followed that up with a career-high 16.2 PPG in 1999-2000.

The Mavericks acquired Armstrong from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Dan Dickau and a second-round pick but would average just 2.2 PPG in 114 games in Dallas. He's been a coach with the Mavericks since 2009, starting as a player development coach, and is now on the bench as one of Jason Kidd's assistants.

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