WATCH: Drew Brees shares passionate speech after former teammate Terron Armstead retires
WATCH: Drew Brees shares passionate speech after former teammate Terron Armstead retires
Shout out to Terron Armstead. The five-time Pro Bowl left tackle called it a career and announced his retirement on Saturday, surrounded by his New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins teammates. And one of the first people to be handed a microphone to share their comments on the occasion was his legendary quarterback Drew Brees.
Brees addressed the crowd and reflected on Armstead's impact on the teams they led together for several minutes. Part of his speech congratulating Armstead on a 12-year career was shared on social media by NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill.
"Twelve amazing years in the NFL. The mainstay wherever he went," Brees began. "I will never forget the day he showed up in our locker room back in 2013, he didn't start off that year as the starter, but it became evident very clearly that this guy was not only going to be a starting left tackle for us for a very long time, but he was going to be a leader in our locker room, he was going to be a leader in the huddle, and he was going to be a leader throughout the league. He's exemplified what it takes to be a champion in this league and in in the locker room and with his teams for a long time."
Armstead's teammates elected him as a captain with the Saints every year from 2018 to 2021; when he left to join the Dolphins in 2022, he continued to wear the captain's patch for the final three years of his career. That says a lot about the respect he's earned around the league for two different locker rooms to rally around him. His leadership by example and perseverance to continue playing through multiple career-threatening injuries stood out, and Brees said Armstead's presence helped guys like him be their best. He had a lot to say about how Armstead became a rallying point when the going got tough.
"This is how I define (leadership). Leaders make those around them better. They bring out the best qualities, the best traits. They instill confidence. They make you feel that you can do something that maybe you didn't think you could do. Those are the best leaders. They also inspire you every time you wake up. When you walk into that locker room, body's hurting, you're not sure if you're going to be able to make it out to practice, you don't know if you're going to make it to Sunday. But then you think about the guys that have invested so much, that have sacrificed so much, that have laid it on the line day after day? You think to yourself, 'Damn, I am not gonna miss it. I'm going to do whatever I have to do to get out there. Because I want to win, not only do I want to win, I want to win a championship and I want to win it for somebody like that,'" Brees said, pointing to Armstead. "And that's the feeling I got every day to step into the New Orleans Saints locker room."
Armstead was a critical piece of the Saints' success from the day he entered the starting lineup to the last snap he logged with New Orleans. He started 93 of the 97 regular season games he appeared in and continued to take point in the postseason, starting all 9 of his Saints playoff games. He continued to lead the way for the Dolphins, starting in 38 regular season games with a pair of playoff appearances. And now his job on Sundays gets easier. He's expected to quickly take up a career in broadcasting or radio commentary and share his knowledge of the game with others. If his first life in football is any indication, he's well-prepared for what comes next.
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