Raymond Lester "Trace" Armstrong III (born October 5, 1965), is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s. He played college football for Arizona State University and the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American. A first-round (12th overall) pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, he played professionally for the Chicago Bears, the Miami Dolphins and the Oakland Raiders. He was formerly the president of the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), and he currently works as a sports agent.
Early life
Armstrong was born in Bethesda, Maryland in 1965. He attended John Carroll Catholic High School in Birmingham, Alabama, where he played high school football and lettered three years as an outside linebacker and defensive end for the John Carroll Cavaliers. Armstrong was an all-state selection and was named one of The Birmingham News''' top twelve players in Alabama as a high school senior.
College career
Armstrong accepted an athletic scholarship to attend Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, where he began his college career as a defensive tackle for the Arizona State Sun Devils football team. He red-shirted in 1984, and as a freshman in 1985 he played in ten games with three starts, totaling thirty-two tackles (two for a loss).
As a sophomore in 1986, Armstrong was a back-up with two starts on the 10–1–1 Sun Devils that finished fourth in the AP poll and defeated the Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl. He recovered a key fumble in the Sun Devils' defeat of the USC Trojans that sealed the Devils' Rose Bowl bid. He finished the 1986 season with twenty-six tackles (one for a loss—a quarterback sack), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
As a junior starter in 1987, Armstrong had a key role in the defeat of the Oregon State Beavers, when he sacked Erik Wilhelm in the end zone for a safety that began an 11–0 scoring run by the Sun Devils in sealing a 30–21 win. The 1987 Sun Devils finished No. 20 in the final AP poll after defeating Air Force in the 1987 Freedom Bowl. Armstrong ended the 1987 season with fifty-one tackles (ten for-a-loss including a team-leading seven sacks). He was an honorable mention All-American by both the AP and UPI.
Armstrong was denied a final year of eligibility by the NCAA due to an "academic mix-up," which he could only recoup if he transferred to another school. However, he was granted immediate eligibility after the NCAA waived its transfer rule in an unusual academic status case from high school which allowed the transfer.
As a result, Armstrong transferred to the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played his final college season for coach Galen Hall's Florida Gators football team in 1988. He was recognized as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection and a first-team All-American at defensive tackle. He set a new Gators single-season record for most tackles for a loss with nineteen, including seven sacks. In all, Armstrong recorded fifty-nine tackles with forty-one of those solo. He finished his college career on the sidelines in the Gators' 14–10 win over the Illinois Fighting Illini in the All American Bowl on December 29, 1988. He underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair his left knee two weeks before the bowl game and could not play.
Armstrong ended his college career with 169 tackles, including thirty-two tackles for losses and fifteen quarterback sacks. He graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in liberal arts in 1989, and returned to earn a master's degree in business administration in 2006. As part of a fan poll conducted by The Gainesville Sun in 2006, he was voted to the Florida Gators 100th Anniversary Team as a defensive lineman together with other Gators like Jack Youngblood, Wilber Marshall and Kevin Carter. Armstrong was also inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2000." Nine Selected to Florida Athletic Hall of Fame," GatorZone.com (November 3, 1999). Retrieved August 25, 2011.
Professional career
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears selected Armstrong in the first round (12th overall pick) of the 1989 NFL Draft. He played for the Bears for six seasons from to . He signed with the Bears on August 18, 1989; his total package was a reported $2.2 million over four years.