Johnny Armstrong

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1897–1960)}}

{{for|the border reiver|Johnnie Armstrong}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Johnny Armstrong

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| current_team =

| number =

| position = {{ubl|End, halfback, quarterback}}

| birth_date = {{birth date|1897|8|10|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Hutchinson, Kansas, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1960|04|30|1897|8|10}}

| death_place = Dubuque, Iowa, U.S.

| college = University of Dubuque

| pastteams =

• Rock Island Independents (1923–1926)

| pastcoaching =

• Rock Island Independents (1924, 1926)

| highlights =

| coachrecord = 7–8–3

| pfrcoach = ArmsJo0

}}

John Allen Armstrong Jr. (August 10, 1897 – April 30, 1960){{Cite book |last=Maxymuk |first=John |title=NFL Head Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary, 1920–2011 |publisher=McFarland & Company |year=2012 |isbn=9780786465576 |pages=354–355}} was an American football player and coach.

Armstrong was born in Hutchinson, Kansas.{{Cite web |title=John Armstrong |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/A/ArmsJo20.htm |access-date=February 6, 2018 |publisher=Pro Football Reference}} From 1918 to 1922, he attended the University of Dubuque in Dubuque, Iowa, where he was a four-sport athlete. A quarterback in college, Armstrong helped the school's football team win conference titles in 1919 and 1920. In addition, he received varsity letters in baseball, basketball, and track.{{Cite web |title=Johnny Armstrong ('22) |url=http://www.dbq.edu/Athletics/AthleticsHallofFame/JohnnyArmstrong/ |access-date=February 6, 2018 |publisher=University of Dubuque}} Professionally, he played on the Rock Island Independents of the National Football League (NFL), and later the first American Football League, from 1923 to 1926 as an end, halfback, and quarterback.{{Cite web |title=Johnny Armstrong |url=http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=ARMSTJOH01 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104154610/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=ARMSTJOH01 |archive-date=January 4, 2009 |access-date=February 15, 2025 |publisher=Database Football}} The Green Bay Press-Gazette named Armstrong a third-team All-Pro in 1923.{{Cite journal |last=Hogrogian |first=John |year=1982 |title=All-Pros of the Early NFL |url=http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-11-114.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Coffin Corner |volume=4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218222628/http://profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/04-11-114.pdf |archive-date=December 18, 2010 |access-date=June 10, 2017 |number=11}} That season, Armstrong was the NFL leader in passing yards and passes intercepted, according to unofficial statistics. In 1924, Armstrong coached the Independents to a 5–2–2 record, and a fifth-place finish.{{Cite web |title=John Armstrong Coaching Results |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/coaches/ArmsJo0.htm |access-date=November 19, 2008 |publisher=Pro Football Reference}} For his last professional football season, 1926, he also served as coach for Rock Island in the AFL; the Independents were 2–6–1 that year.

Armstrong also played minor league baseball for the Watertown Cubs, Dubuque Climbers/Dubs/Ironmen, Oklahoma City Indians, and Davenport Blue Sox from 1921 to 1929.{{Cite web |title=John Armstrong |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=armstr002joh |access-date=February 24, 2011 |publisher=Baseball-Reference}} He was the head football and basketball coach at Columbia College—now known as Loras College—in Dubuque, in addition to managing a recreation hall.{{Cite web |title=Coaching Records |url=https://duhawks.com/sports/2020/1/7/coaching-records.aspx?id=216 |access-date=August 18, 2020 |publisher=Loras College}}{{Cite web |title=History of Loras College |url=http://www.loras.edu/about/history/ |access-date=February 6, 2018 |publisher=Loras College}} In 1960, Armstrong died in Dubuque.