WR Andrew Armstrong excited to be at SEC Media Days

Wide receiver Andrew Armstrong was one of the three players Sam Pittman opted to take to the SEC Media Days in Dallas on Thursday.

Armstrong transferred in from Texas A&M-Commerce prior to last season. Armstrong topped the team in receptions with 56 for 764 yards and five touchdowns. Armstrong played high school football at Dallas Bishop Dunne and was excited to represent the Razorbacks at the SEC Media Days.

“Being my senior year SEC media day in Dallas,” Armstrong said. “I told my mom it’s very ironic, so I’m very excited that I’m here. I get to see the people, get to see the view from the Omni. I really appreciate that from my head coach.”

When media days roll around that is always an indication the football season is nearing.

“It’s been great,” Armstrong said. “The team camaraderie, the player-led it’s been fun, exciting. We’ve been working extremely hard this summer going day-by-day. Getting closer to fall camp, the only thing we can do is focus on the next day and getting better at doing that.”

This season, Arkansas will have Bobby Petrino calling the plays and that is something Armstrong is excited about.

“It’s been great,” Armstrong said. “He’s been helping us with the plays. We playing, we’re trying to be explosive this year. With Taylen Green coming in, the leader he is — he is 6’7″. Looking at him you can already think he is a leader. He’s been great.”

Texas and Oklahoma have joined the SEC this season. Being from Texas, Armstrong talked about the Longhorns who the Hogs face this fall.

“I know the last time they played them it was one of the seventh most — like the attendance there was extremely high,” Armstrong said. “I feel like coming back with this year, we got Bobby Petrino back. It might even jump back. I’m just ready to play. I’m just ready to play them as well. It’s going to be a very fun, fun game. Early 11:00 a.m. game.”

After having a very good season in 2023, Armstrong could have opted for the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead he chose to return to Arkansas for another season. On Thursday, Armstrong detailed his reasons for another season with the Hogs.

“We were extremely confident last year,” Armstrong said. “Looking at how the team was last year with those close losses that we had, I feel like we can build on top of that. I feel like if I would have left, I would have just left, like tried to get to the NFL and things like that, but I feel like it was unfinished business here. I feel like we can do something extremely great here, and that’s why I came back.”

Armstrong admitted it was a big adjustment going from Texas A&M-Commerce to the SEC.

“I said one time in an interview last year, man, them workouts,” Armstrong said. “That first day workout when I first got to Arkansas almost called my mom and asked is there any way I can go back to Commerce? Those workouts was extremely — that first week for everybody is just — you got to be mentally tough because if your mental isn’t there, it’s going to be one of the most hardest things you’ve ever went through.

I have a way of making up words, so I’m going to say one of the “hardest” things I’ve ever went through when I first got here, so…”

Armstrong compared the mental to physical aspects of football.

“Mentally is one of the most — I want to say 80%, 90% of the game,” Armstrong said. “You can work out and do all those things, but if you’re not mentally tough, if you’re not mentally there on the field, you got to think about what plays you’re going through.

“You can be tired, and you got to think about what type of route you’re going to run, your dip. I feel like mental is one of the most, like, prestigious things when it comes to the sport of football.”

Arkansas has a deep wide receiver room according to Armstrong. He feels the position will be a strong one this fall.

“We have Tyrone Broden, 6’7″, fastest dude on the team,” Armstrong said. “You don’t see that a lot. He’s good at getting down on his brakes and catching the ball in traffic and good at going up and catching the ball.

“He has been extremely, extremely, extremely locked in this year. We also have Isaiah Sategna, Jaedon Wilson, Davion Dozier, CJ Brown, a lot of young guys, as well, Dazmin James, Jordan Anthony. Like I said, Jordan Anthony, we talked about the NCAA game, and he is an absolute cheat code because he has a 98 speed, and you can say down, set, hut, and throw the ball, and he is just going to run under it and catch it.

“But I feel like our receiving room as a whole has been, like, great.”

Armstrong feels another area of the team that has improved and will be solid is the offensive line. Armstrong feels they will protect Green so he can get the ball to the receivers.

“Man, the O-line is one of the most together O-lines I’ve ever seen,” Armstrong said. “They come in together on the weekend, seven days a week, in the training room together, in the pool together, doing rehab together.

“They’re not even hurt. They’re just in there doing rehab to make themselves better and making themselves better is going to make the team better, make the offense better, and also make the defense better because that defense has to go up against the O-line. I feel like the O-line has took a dramatic step.”

Arkansas suffered several close losses last year and it eventually took its toll with some blowout failures later in campaign. Armstrong reflected back on the message following those losses.

“Next day,” Armstrong said. “Next day was the message. We can lose a game, but the game is lost. Like, there’s nothing you can do about — you can’t harp or be sad about it.

“Just like if I drop a ball in the game, like, me getting mad at dropping the ball isn’t going to do anything but mess up my mental during the game. So if I drop a ball, I just have to say, next play because that next play can be a 90-yard catch, but I just dropped a 5-yard catch which could have turned into a 15-yard. You just have to stay focused and keep your mind on a swivel.”

The Hogs open the season on Thursday, Aug. 29, in Little Rock’s War Memorial Stadium against UAPB at 6:30 p.m. and televised on ESPNU.