Rookie has used faith to shape career path
More than a decade ago, Bob Balian went with his friend, Guss Armstead, to see Armstead’s youngest son, Arik, play pee-wee football.
And what he saw stunned him: The little kid was mansized.
“Those kids were 9 and 10 and Arik was like 6-foot-2,” Balian said. “I was like, ‘Guss, you have got be kidding me.’ You knew even then Arik was special in that regard, and he would have a shot. And, sure enough, he’s made it.”
Indeed, Armstead, 6-foot-7 and 292 pounds, has arrived. The Sacramento native will make his NFL debut Monday night against the Vikings, five months after the 49ers selected him with the No. 17 pick in the NFL draft.
However, Balian, the pastor of Bayside Church of Midtown in Sacramento, is proudest of how Armstead has conducted himself as a person on his way to the pros. He smiles when asked if Armstead, 21, could now change with a fat bank account and faster lifestyle.
“He’s as prepared for this as anyone can be.” Balian said. “Arik is such a genuine believer in Christ that he’s really going to do it his way. He’s going to do it Christ’s way.”
Lord knows Armstead has had plenty of practice.
Raised in church
He was raised in the church by his dad, Guss, whose father and uncle were pastors, and his mom, Christa, who is the worship leader at Bayside. His sister, Alexis, is also on staff at Bayside, which is the second church the Arsmteads have helped plant in Sacramento in the past decade.
As Guss says, Arik is a “fullfledged veteran in church activities,” his childhood a blur of junior choir, youth groups and Easter programs. At Pleasant Grove High, Armstead, a fivestar national recruit, didn’t announce his decision to attend Oregon in the school gym, but at Bayside. Two days after he selected by the 49ers, he was on stage at a men’s conference at Bayside’s main campus in Roseville.
“It’s been my family’s whole life,” said Armstead, who has two older brothers. “It’s our foundation and what we rely on. … At a young age, you grow up in the church and it’s just what you do. And later it starts getting to the point where it becomes more serious and affects the way you want to live.”
The soft-spoken Armstead isn’t interested in forcing his faith on others. He follows the example of his dad, whose-liveit-out example inspired Balian to become a Christian after college and eventually enter the ministry. Armstead insists he hardly qualifies as a model of saintly behavior, but it’s clear his faith has helped inform his decisions.
Just ask Oregon tight end Pharaoh Brown, one of Armstead’s best friends who is a former college roommate. Armstead’s size isn’t the only thing that made him unique on campus, Brown said.
“He’d always go party with us, but I’ve been friends with Arik for four years and I’ve never seen him drink any alcohol,” Brown said. “It’s a little different from most college students, but that’s just not what Arik did. He’s a special guy. He can have a great time without drinking.”
Said Joe Cattolico, his coach at Pleasant Grove High in Elk Grove: “Arik is one of the best young people that I’ve ever worked with. … He was a top national recruit when he was here and you would have never have known, other than the fact that he was a head taller than everyone else. You couldn’t tell by the way he carried himself and treated people.”
Armstead’s character isn’t irrelevant, particularly given his team’s recent history. Eight 49ers have been arrested since 2012, and two defensive standouts, tackle Ray McDonald and outside linebacker Aldon Smith, have been released in the past nine months because of repeated missteps.
High hopes
Still, the 49ers need the guy who sounds too good to be true to be just as good on the field: Armstead won’t be deemed an NFL success for, literally, being a choir boy.
Before the draft, Armstead was viewed as an intriguing prospect with rare physical attributes who could take some time to develop upper-body strength and polish. He left Oregon after his junior season and had focused solely on football for only one year because he played basketball his first two college seasons.
The preseason has generally reinforced the notion of Armstead as a project. In four games, Armstead had six tackles and no sacks in 184 snaps. In a loss at Denver, he played 36 snaps, but did not appear on the stat sheet.
However, his athleticism and desire made a believer of former 49ers defensive tackle Darnell Dockett. Last month, Dockett insisted Armstead would better the career of Calais Campbell, a 2014 Pro Bowl selection who was Dockett’s teammate in Arizona seven seasons.
“Arik has a better upside,” Dockett said. “Strong, fast and athletic. And he listens. He’s going to be a dominant force for us. … At some point in his career, he’s going to be a dominant force and he’s going to terrorize everything.”
If Armstead does so, Dockett won’t be around to see it up close. He was released Sept. 4, and his departure figures to create more playing time for Armstead, who will open the season as a backup.
Is he ready for the role? That remains to be seen, but his background likely means the he won’t be overwhelmed by the increased competition and expectations.
Guss Armstead is a trainer who works primarily with NBA players, meaning his son grew up living, training and being humbled by professional athletes. Arik Armstead, the man child, had a chance to play against men such as Festus Ezeli (Warriors), Matt Barnes (Grizzlies) and Ryan Anderson (Pelicans). In addition, his older brother, Armond, 25, was a defensive lineman at USC whose brief career with the Patriots ended last year because of heart issues.
Pros’ impact
In other words, Armstead, who was offered a football scholarship by UCLA the summer before his freshman year of high school, was given daily beatings and a road map of how to succeed.
“It was quite humbling, but nothing was overwhelming because I’ve gotten to know so many professional athletes,” Armstead said. “So I’ve always felt I’d just do what they do and I’d be successful as well. I never felt overwhelmed playing college football or it wasn’t like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to play in the NFL.’ The stage has never felt too overwhelming.”
The most influential NBA player was Mike Wilks, 36, an undrafted guard whose eightyear career included eight teams and a 2.5 points-pergame average. Wilks lived with the Armsteads each summer during his career, training with Guss and rubbing off on Arik.
“Mike was a good player, but he played so long in the NBA because people loved him,” Arik said. “He treated people so well. I saw a professional athlete who wasn’t cocky and was a great Christian example. He was another example of how to live the right way and conduct yourself.”
Wilks, who is a now a scout with the Thunder, attempts to evaluate a prospect’s skills and character in his new job. Football isn’t his expertise, so he can’t forecast how Armstead’s career will unfold. But he’s confident about the character part.
“I’m more proud of him as person than as an athlete,” Wilks said. “I hope he has a long and blessed career, but he could stop playing tomorrow and I’d be just as proud. Arik is a young man who knows who he is. And that won’t change because his circumstances have.”