The eyes of the collective pro football world were focused ion Indianapolis in late February as the annual NFL combine took place. 
 
A special, innovation-only, meet, greet and workout session featured over 300 of the top collegiate football players all hoping to improve their status NFL draft. The most unlikely athlete causing the biggest buzz was Terron Armstead (6- feet 5, 306 pounds). The huge offensive tackle for Arkansas Pine Bluff.
A consensus All-SWAC performer at UAPB, Armstead served notice to the NFL talent evaluators when he set a new combine record for offensive lineman in the 40, running a blistering 4.71 seconds at over 300 pounds.

Blessed with 34-inch arms and an 81 5/8- inch wingspan, Armstead showed his strength by doing 31 reps of combine average of 25 for O-Lineman. Terron showed the type of athletic skill set in all of the drills that has NFL scouts drooling as the draft looms in just two short weeks.

Armstead wasn't surprised by his combine performance.

“I had a really good feeling heading into the combine,” Armstead said. ”I had been training at Athletes Performance down in Pensacola with a group of guys and things had been going really well.”

Armstead built momentum rolling into the combine after success in the East-West Shrine game and the senior bowl. Still, coming from a D1 AA, SWAC School, there would always be a stigma about the level of competition he faced.

“They say the cream rises to the top, “he said “they question the level of compaction coming from the SWAC or MEAC or any D1AA school. No matter what team you're playing on if you can play, you're going to stick out and [The NFL] will find you.

“It's a tougher road, that's why all-star games [post season] are so important for small school guys, to answer those questions I believe you can make it from any school at any level.”

A native of Cahokia. Armstead explained the circumstances that landed him in Pine Bluff, Ark.

“I was a late qualifier with the NCAA Clearinghouse; I got my ACT scores really late. My high school head coach graduated from Arkansas Pine Bluff and that's how they found me,” he recalled.   

“I was getting interested from a lot of Midwest-area schools – Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri – and I was actually planning on going to Missouri. I always saw myself going big D1. At first in my freshman year, I thought I would come here; get some good stuff on film and then transfer.
After praying about it I decided to stay and I'm really glad I did. Things really worked out well. I started for four years and we won the SWAC title this past season.” He said.

Despite coming from a small school, Armstead was blessed to have NFL-quality coaches at the college level.

“I don't think many scouts knew until the start of the season when I started getting heavily scouted that our head coach was a former Washington Redskin Monte Coleman, “ he said. “My offensive line coach, Damon Nivens, also played in the league. It helped a whole lot to have guys coach you that have been there and done that and know exactly what it takes to makes it.”

Armstead describe how his outstanding athleticism translates to success at one of football's most demanding positions.

“My ability to get off the ball and in position faster and quicker than other offensive lineman out there is what distinguishes me. That helps me get to the second level and even the third level and mess around with safeties and corners,” he said, “In the past game I feel because of my athleticism, my feet are quick enough to cut off the defenders who like to speed rush off the edge.”

The future really looks bright for Armstead most mock draft pick. He hopes to continue the legacy of great HBCU offensive line stars such as Jackie Slater, Erik Williams, Nate Newton, Art Shell and Larry Little.

With a wealth of God-given talent the future looks bright for Armstead and in two weeks he'll know what city will be his new hometown. Here's hoping its Houston.