Otis Armstrong

Otis D. Armstrong (November 15, 1950 – October 13, 2021) was an American professional football player who played running back in the National Football League. A product of Chicago's Farragut High School, he went on to Purdue University, where he became the school's all-time leading rusher and its leader in all-purpose yards. Over three college seasons he amassed 4,601 all-purpose yards, comprising 3,315 rushing yards, 897 yards on kickoff returns, and 389 passing yards, and he scored 24 touchdowns—17 rushing and seven on returns. In 1972 he was named Big Ten MVP, leading the conference in both rushing and total offense while earning first-team All-Conference honors.

Armstrong was selected in the first round of the 1973 NFL draft, taken ninth overall by the Denver Broncos. He spent his entire professional career with Denver, playing from 1973 through 1980.

His accomplishments earned him lasting recognition. He was inducted into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and, in 1987, was named to Purdue's All-Time team as part of the celebration marking 100 years of football at the university. In 1997 he was inducted into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. Armstrong died on October 13, 2021, at the age of 70.