Hall of Fame
Position: Halfback
Years: 1970-1972
Place of Birth: Chicago, IL
Date of Birth: Nov 15, 1950
Place of Death: Denver, Colorado
Date of Death: October 13, 2021
Jersey Number: 24
Height: 5-10
Weight: 190
High School: Farragut (Chicago, IL)
One of the top runners of his era, Otis Armstrong left school owning Big Ten MVP honors, First Team All-Conference accolades and the league's all-time rushing record.
The eighth-place finisher in 1972 Heisman Trophy voting and a consensus All-American, Armstrong's 3,315 career rushing yards set school and conference records and placed him sixth in NCAA history at career's end. His career rushing mark still ranks third in school history. His 670 career carries remain a school record, averaging nearly five yards per carry.
His senior season, he earned the Swede Nelson Award for great sportsmanship and team MVP honors by rushing 243 times for 1,361 yards, accumulating 1,868 all-purpose yards (all of which set single-season school records at the time). Armstrong led the Big Ten in rushing that season, and his 276-yard effort versus Indiana remains a school best.
A first round selection by the Denver Broncos in the 1973 NFL Draft, Armstrong played eight seasons with Denver. He led the NFL in rushing in 1974, earning First Team All-Pro honors and appearing in his first of two Pro Bowls. His efforts in Denver helped the Broncos appear in Super Bowl XII.
He was inducted into the Purdue Athletic Hall of Fame in 1997, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. He also was named a member of Purdue's all-time team in 1987.
