Arik Armstead
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive End | Oregon | 10 |
EXCELLENCE ON THE FIELD
Arik Armstead joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in 2024. Armstead arrived in Jacksonville and became an integral piece of the Jaguars defensive line in the locker room, on the field and in the community. Arik has an impressive 10-year career in the NFL. Since joining the league, Armstead has started in 97 games, appeared in 124, with 34.5 sacks, and 185 tackles thus far. In 2019, he started in all three postseason matchups, including Super Bowl LIV, recording 15 tackles (eight solo), four quarterback hits, 2.0 sacks, one tackle for loss, and one forced fumble. He also started in all three postseason games in 2023, including Super Bowl LVIII, recording 11 tackles (four solo), two quarterback hits, 1.0 sack, and one tackle for loss. Arik is a force to be reckoned with on the field and will have one of his best seasons since 2021. Armstead elevates the Jaguars defense to a whole new level and is a pivotal leader on and off the field.
POSITIVE CHARACTER & A LIFESTYLE OF GIVING BACK
A five-time Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee, Perry/ Yonamine Unity Award winner, CBS Bay Area Jefferson Award, the Yours Humanly 2023 Leading with Heart Award, and the Boost Collaborative Conference's Excellence in Leadership Award winner doesn't even scratch the surface for Arik Armstead's commitment to his family, locker room, and his community. This list proves Arik is determined and dedicated to a lifestyle of giving back, all while balancing his tremendous NFL career, his organization, and a family. "It's not easy balancing career, organization, kids, all these things. But I think it's all worth it," Armstead shared. "I just want to inspire the next generation to be the change they want to see in our world." Arik not only directly engages with the youth of Jacksonville, Florida, and the Sacramento and Bay Area in California, but provides resources to educators and parents, advocates for legislative changes, and encourages others to join him to make a change. "The fundamental premise of AAP is that a zip code should not define student opportunity" and that "every student, no matter their socioeconomic status, deserves direct access to the resources they need to thrive." In total, Armstead has directly impacted over 516,500 youth and contributed $2M+, continuously finding new communities and organizations to empower. Arik is a pivotal leader and changemaker in the communities he calls home, and proven time and time again his relentless pursuit to make a change today, tomorrow, and for the future.
DEDICATION & COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY EFFORTS
THIS YEAR
Since the Armstead Academic Project's (AAP) inception in 2019, the defensive lineman has helped raise and personally donated over $2 million to Sacramento and Bay Area youth, where he is originally from. He is considered a leader in the locker room as he encourages his teammates to use their platform to support underserved communities, welcoming them by his side to empower and inspire. "What inspired me to start the Armstead Academic Project - I was a kid who struggled in school at a young age and if it wasn't for people who poured into my life, I wouldn't have had a shot at being successful," Armstead said. "There's a lot of kids who are just like me, who just need some nurturing and some resources to be poured into; their potential is endless. Those are the kids we're trying to reach and serve." Armstead arrived in Jacksonville in the beginning of 2024 and was determined to make an immediate impact in the Northeast Florida community. This fall, Armstead and his wife Mindy donated $50,000 to the Department of Sound to create the first "Sound Mind" production workshop series for over 60 young people to explore STEAM education and social emotional wellness. The Armsteads also donated $100,000 to Teach for America and Square Root Academy to help youth meet literacy standards and learn about AI technology, respectively. Throughout his 10-year career, Arik has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to community efforts. He has committed himself to improving literacy rates through his reading initiative, "Storytime with Arik Armstead," and in 2024 expanded this portfolio by participating in the EverBank Touchdowns for Tomorrow program. This program highlights the importance of financial literacy, demonstrated on the field through football drills. Arik joined EverBank staff and hundreds of kids from Duval County Public Schools to emphasize the importance of financial education at a young age and to ensure they are setting themselves up for success in the future. Arik imparted his words of wisdom and shared important life lessons and financial tips and tricks, relating to his profound career and his personal endeavors. He also hosted his AAP Career Camp, an opportunity for young people from non-profit organizations across the Bay Area to learn about the different fields, avenues, opportunities, and industries available to them. Attendees received an exclusive tour of the Torani factory, and were later connected so they could learn about their career path. Arik and the AAP also partnered with Zenni, an eyeglasses provider, for their Zenni Summer Reading Camp. This program provides children with free eye screenings to identify if glasses are necessary, which is the first step to help them improve their focus and performance in the classroom.
IN YEARS PAST
Armstead demonstrates dedication and commitment to serving his community, and this is proven through his work on and off the field, and through his Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award nominations. From hosting story times, youth football camps, college field trips, free health and wellness fairs, and providing resources, warm meals, and school supplies, Armstead does it all. Some of his past highlights include: reading to 3,272 students in over 42 in-person and more classrooms virtually, encouraging them to reach grade-level literacy standards through the Storytime with Arik Armstead program, sponsoring and hosting over 2,577 students for youth football camps and college field trips, donating over $500K to support Sacramento youth, providing meals and educational supplies through Mercy Housing, serving youth in low-income housing complexes, and purchasing, wrapping, and delivering over $20,500 in holiday gifts to UC Davis Hospital pediatric patients for six consecutive years. Meanwhile, Armstead continued advocacy efforts to support 80,000 unfunded Black children in California, securing a commitment from Governor Newsom to increase resources for the lowest-performing students, particularly students of color. Most recently, he publicly supported a Literacy Bill to ensure that the state prioritizes library access to every third-grade student in the state, impacting 427,015 children. Over the summer, the defensive lineman hosted the Armstead Academic Project's inaugural Kick Off for Kids Gala, raising over $303,000 to support youth academic success. Following the Gala, Armstead hosted a free football and wellness camp and Sacramento State University college tour for over 500 students. In recognition of his tireless efforts, Armstead received the CBS Bay Area Jefferson Award, the Yours Humanly 2023 Leading with Heart Award and the Boost Collaborative Conference's Excellence in Leadership Award for his outstanding contributions to childhood education. Collectively, Armstead has positively impacted the lives of over 516,500 youth and families through AAP. Perhaps the most notable feature of Armstead's dedication to the community is not just the amount of lives he's impacted, but his commitment to equality. Armstead's ethos that "a zip code should not define student opportunity" is one that pushes him beyond event-based impact and into outcome-based programming to close critical academic gaps. Over several years, Armstead has collaborated with nonprofits and educators to provide elementary youth, in need of comprehensive academic support, with targeted reading interventions by credentialed teachers. Armstead plans to scale this summer program to other Sacramento and Bay Area schools to close the literacy gap among third-grade students.
