Hall of Fame
Richard Armour was a standout high school player at Martin Luther King, Jr. High School in Detroit, Michigan.
While recruited by schools like Michigan and Michigan State, Armour choose to attend Central State University where he valued the smaller classes and the teacher-student rapport.
Playing for CSU head coach Joe Redmond, the 6'1, 225 pound linebacker earned the nickname "Hammer" while becoming one of the finest defensive players in the nation.
"If he had played at Alabama, Texas or someplace like that, he still would have been a consensus All-American," Redmond once said. "I have seen a lot of great players over my career and Richard is as good as any of them."
Armour led the nation his senior season with 180 tackles. His numbers were even more impressive considering he missed the final game due to injury. Armour's 180 tackles in a single season along with his 20 tackles per game mark remain on top of the school record books. At the conclusion of the 1979 season, Armour was named to the NAIA All-American Team and the Black College Football All-American Team. He also gained interest from the NFL and spent time in training camp with the Philadelphia Eagles.
In 1982, Armour married his college sweetheart, Linda. Later that year, he joined the U.S. Military and served his country for twenty-three years of active duty before retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant. Armour earned numerous awards of distinction during his military career which include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. One of his proudest moments was receiving the U.S. Army Recruiting Command's highest award and the Recruiter Ring. In addition, he was one of the last soldiers to guard Rudolf Hess at Spando Prison. After retiring from the military, Richard started a new career in teaching and devoted his time after school being a football coach and a constant mentor.
Armour passed away in February of 2014 with his spirit living on through his family, friends, teammates and former players. Armour was inducted posthumously into the Central State Athletic Hall of Fame His son Michael spoke on his father's behalf during the induction ceremony.
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