Following a great 2013 season, Tommy Armstrong expects to have an even better 2014 as he prepares to fully embrace his leadership role at Nebraska.
Realizing that there were times he felt overwhelmed last season, Armstrong says that he didn’t see the bigger picture until getting injured during Nebraska’s Nov. 29th game against Iowa.
“I think it slowed down for me a lot after getting hurt and being able to sit and watch a little bit and see it all starts off with me,” he said. “I needed the injury honestly. That kind of gave me a reality check, like nothing is guaranteed.”
Since the ending of the 2013 season, Armstrong has taken this epiphany to heart and mind in order to boost his confidence both on and off the field. Spending time with NFL legend Brett Favre “has helped a lot”, with Favre providing insight and preparation for games, as well as tips on how to be more efficient in watching film. Being around team starters has also “helped [him] get the chemistry down”, citing that building a rapport with his teammates has been critical in molding himself into a leader on and off the field.
Despite these factors, he specifically cites all-star teammate Ameer Abdullah as inspiration to play harder. “Ameer [Abdullah] told me that [I] was one of the reasons he came back this year. That really touched me that a veteran guy like that would tell me that,” Armstrong said.
At Nebraska’s Fan Day, Armstrong seemed different, more confident than a year previous (as he should be after a 2014 win at the Gator Bowl), answering questions about his team with an air of confidence. If Armstrong can translate his newfound confidence from the podium to the field, he will without a doubt be the leader under center this team needs.
