Terron Armstead
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Staying true to who he is as an individual and keeping the vision of The Terron Armstead Foundation in mind, Terron's ultimate community engagement goal is "to reach across all borders with the power to teach, guide and develop people with a common goal – to make a difference, by becoming the difference that we want to see in the world". His love for the Gulf South regional community and his hometown of Cahokia, Illinois, lends for easy incitement to participate in civic endeavors. The dedication and commitment in contributing to those local communities (specifically) is truly innate. This year alone, Terron has hosted multiple back-to-school giveaways in the local New Orleans area and in his hometown. The event in New Orleans marked his third straight year of co-hosting the event which catered to over 200 local students each time. The students received a backpack filled with essential school supplies, but also received a gift card to shop for additional school necessities, including items like shoes, lunch kits, socks, and whatever else the student would need to be prepared for school. This summer, Terron also hosted a free football camp and community fun day that welcomed over 700 kids for the one-day event in Cahokia. So far this season, he has also provided gameday experiences for underprivileged groups of kids by surprising them with game tickets and team swag.
Terron was also the featured player at the ribbon cutting ceremony of a new local hospital opened by the Saints team partner, Ochsner Health System. Among other team community events during the remainder of the season, he will also collaborate with Laureus USA on their New Orleans Day of Sport initiative.
The responsibility that he bears as a member of the Saints remains top of mind, so Terron has always had a clear understanding of how his community engagement really impacts the individuals served. In his 7th season, it is difficult to name an event where he has not participated in some way. Whether it's a school literacy visit, military engagements, Thanksgiving food drives, hospital visits, character development visits, youth football camps, bike & toy giveaways, corporate partner events, or any other civic engagement, he has always been eager to participate…and has remained consistent over the years. Terron's support of the Gulf South regional community has been incredible. All he needs is the ask, if he's available, you can count him in, with no persuasion needed. Terron also welcomes one-on-one interactions with individuals of non-profit groups such as Make-a-Wish and Special Olympics. Through his participation in the My Cause My Cleats campaign, his support for Autism awareness has blossomed as well. Last winter, he also hosted a coat giveaway for underserved youth in Cahokia. During the 2018's off-season, he participated in the team's Play 60 Canada camps in Vancouver. His foundation has also sponsored a basketball league, provided scholarships, holds Thanksgiving food drives, and offers Christmas gifts to needy families, and at times, helps individual families who've lost homes or individual children who need medicine for cancer treatment.
It is often said that a person of good character exhibits traits of loyalty, humility, and compassion. These traits are very easily showcased in Terron's everyday actions. Since his rookie year, Terron has participated in every type of event hosted by the team (some paired with corporate partners) including varying community events, youth football camps, and other engagements sponsored by himself, teammates, or the team. He is incredibly reliable and generous with both his time and his heart. Everyone he meets will always be greeted with a warm smile and he's always eager to lend his assistance in whatever way possible. Interactions with fans (especially impressionable youth) are always his main priority in that particular moment, so he is never hurried in the time spent with any of them. Even after a strenuous training camp practice in the extreme heat, he leads his unit to sign autographs with fans without complaint. Positive character development is also one of the main points of emphases of The Terron Armstead Foundation, which is centered on inspiring youth to develop life skills of sportsmanship, character, and teamwork and he is intentional about the events and programming stemming from his foundation. Through his foundation, Terron has developed a leadership internship focused on real-life skills like how to manage taxes, credit scores, learning appropriate attire for interviews, and the manner in which a person should conduct himself/herself during an interview. He enjoys helping young adults learn information that will help guide them on the right paths as they enter adulthood. Additionally, at every Play Football Experience (one of the team's youth camps) that he attends for local groups of students, the importance of possessing and maintaining a good character is always stressed. After suffering from a few major injuries to his hip, knee, and shoulder, his faith and tenacity has been resolute. He's traveled throughout the United States (and even Germany) to receive various treatments during that recovery phase and has bounced back in such a way, that you would never realize there were major hurdles along the way; yet, he's continued to perform an elite level while never accepting the accolades solely as his own; rather, he shares the attribution with the people around him.
