Former Husker Tommy Armstrong Jr. is back with the Omaha Beef football team and will be competing for a championship for the third year in a row Monday night.
Armstrong joined the Beef in 2023 and lead the team to its first undefeated season. He resigned with Omaha last season and again led the team to a perfect record and a championship as the Beef joined the National Arena League. He earned NAL Player of the Year.
Armstrong initially decided to call it a career after the season, but he came out of retirement to rejoin the Beef for the last three games of the season. He said that the opportunity to play with his teammates one last time is what lured him back to the gridiron.
“Honestly, just my friends,” Armstrong junior told Hurrdat Sports. “Some of my brothers, CP — most people know him as CP — but Chris Perry, June Bug (Olukayode Akinmoladun), just being able to play with them again.”
Armstrong said he went on a vacation with Perry in January, and that trip got the wheels turning.
“We were talking like, ‘Hey look, if we can get the band back together, we’ll try to do this,’” Armstrong said. “I was closer and closer to being cleared, and then actually got a chance to be reunited, so I wanted to get a chance to play with my brothers again.”
Armstrong chose to retire because he needed shoulder surgery. He was told recovery would be between six and 18 months. However, he got cleared late in the season and the Beef offered him the chance to return to the team for a playoff run.
Although jumping back into it in the middle of the season can be hard, Armstrong credits his defense and teammates for helping him adjust so quickly and get back into the swing of playing again.
“It starts off at practice,” Armstrong said. “I got the No. 1 defense in the league. Every day they push us to get better, myself included.”
There are a lot of factors that have motivated Armstrong to keep playing football over the years. He said that his first year with the Beef was the year that his son was born, and now that his son is a little older and can understand a little more, it’s cool for him to see as a dad.
“Being able to see him walk out there, put the helmet on, run around and say ‘touchdown,’ things like that, that’s what it’s all about,” Armstrong said.
Along with his son being able to watch him play, he said that his nephew and other family members have also kept him motivated.
“That’s kind of been motivating for me the last few years,” Armstrong said. “Being able to have extended family, people that haven’t seen me play in 12, 14 years, since I was in high school and middle school, and it’s helped me out a lot.”
The former Husker said that he watches the Big Red as much as he can and thinks Coach Matt Rhule has the program headed in the right direction, especially with Dylan Raiola at quarterback.
“If you look at his resume, every year he’s improved from year one to year three,” Armstrong said. “So he’s doing a great job of putting the staff in the right situation.”
While Armstrong is the quarterback and receives a lot of the attention, he always makes sure to point out all that his teammates do as well.
“Those guys deserve all the credit for everything they do,” Armstrong said. “They make plays, they do everything else. I just try to put the ball in their hands to be able to execute every week.”
Armstrong said that after he’s done playing, he’ll be moving with his family to Texas where he wants to continue his football career, but in coaching. He said that the championship game will be his last game playing.
“It’s kind of a bittersweet moment,” Armstrong said. “Where I can say I gave it my all that last game, and then I’m going to move to Texas and continue to work with my quarterbacks and do what I do best, and that’s just coach. I have a passion for coaching.”
Before he hangs up the cleats for good, however, he has some business to take care of on the field. The Omaha Beef take on the Beaumont Renegades with a three-peat on the line, starting at 8 p.m. CT Monday at Doggett Ford Park Arena in Beaumont, Texas. Armstrong said he’s looking forward to playing his last game back at home in Texas where family can come watch him play.
“It would mean a whole lot,” Armstrong said. “Not just for me, but for my players, my teammates.”