Terron Armstead played 12 years in the NFL, starting his decorated career in 2013 protecting the blind side for Drew Brees. In his time blocking for one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, the 6’5”, 305-pound left tackle was an anchor of the team’s offensive line, developing into an impenetrable force over nearly a decade in New Orleans. Armstead made three Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team with the Saints, which he used to get himself paid in free agency. Before the 2022 season, the Miami Dolphins dropped a five-year, $75-million contract on him, giving Armstead some bank statements that certified the former third-round pick as one of the best in the league at his position.
But playing in the trenches guarantees a certain level of anonymity. Armstead—who was sneakily one of the funniest, most talented dudes in the league before announcing his retirement earlier this month—had other interests beyond putting pass rushers in the torture chamber. Underneath his football helmet, the big man was cooking up rhyme schemes. In 2020, under the name T Stead, he dropped a full-length album, announcing his presence with lyrics like “I connected the streets with the corporate world, I'm the catalyst. And you gon’ need way more than ESPN for analysis.” The people at Madden took notice, and when Madden 24 was released, the video game’s soundtrack featured five songs blessed by T Stead verses.
Now living in Dallas, raising three kids, and exploring some post-retirement business ventures, Armstead made it clear that he has no desire to get back on the gridiron. With his legacy secure as both a top tackle of his era—and one of the most fashionable offensive linemen to ever do it—Armstead is leaving the field with a palpable sense of accomplishment. Going from an HBCU (Armstead played college ball at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff) to a dozen years in the NFL is no small feat, and being recognized by his peers with three appearances on the NFL Top 100 showed that the dudes he was lining up against respected him as well.
Armstead spoke with GQ about all of this in a recent exit interview, sharing stories about Sean Payton’s wardrobe, the scariest defense he’s ever seen, and whether he’s allowed himself to think about a gold jacket yet.
Terron Armstead: I think it organically happened for me over the years. Coming into the league, I can't say that I was [into fashion], honestly. I didn't get into any designer clothes, didn't really care much about styling. I just had a natural sense of matching, really. I know this goes with this and these shoes, that's it. But then just starting to see the guys pulling up to the games and putting it on, man, I'm like, I want to get into that!
So, I got into suits more. Now, I do the suits and also I can do some other fashion. I like to do things that's a little risky for the big guys. But so what? Step with confidence! I see a lot more of my fellow O-line and D-linemen starting to do it. I love it.
Man, that's a great question, because I really didn't know, honestly. I'm from a small town. I had no interaction with any NFL players. I go to college, I have no interaction with any NFL players. I really don't have any outline of what it looks like, or what's to be expected. When I get to the Saints and I see Drew Brees over there in his locker, I'm like a fan! I don't want to run up as a fan because now I'm his teammate. So I just started to watch, man. I started to pay attention to how Drew would go out there and warm up, or Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs, just the extra things they did pre-practice.
Early in my career, I didn't start, and that really, really bothered me. I would practice hard throughout the week, getting better, and Sunday would come and I'm inactive. I didn't even know that was a thing! It's like seven people that don't dress. They're inactive. That shit never sat well with me. I started to feed into that burning desire of, I have to get on the field. I'm doing overtime: pre-practice, post-practice, weight room, just waiting on my opportunity.
I remember Sean Payton called me into the office. He said, "It's yours. It's your time." We had a big game coming up, going against Carolina, fighting to win our division. He's like, "It's your time. I need you to be ready." I'll never forget it. When he told me, I was stone faced. I'm like, "Yeah, I'm ready. I'm locked in.” But as soon as I walked out that office, I'm like, "Let's go!" I go back down to the locker room, process everything, and hit the ground running. My first half of that game wasn't too great! I had a couple mistakes. But from that point on, it was T. Stead.
Yeah, I mean, the young guys. When I came to New Orleans, Drew had already won a Super Bowl, Jahri had already won a Super Bowl. They were already veterans. When I got there, I could pull up two minutes before practice, throw my pants on, and go out there. I didn't have to do all the warm-ups. But I saw their routine—from resistance bands to hot tubs—and I saw how much they put into every day.
But yeah, it's a lot of guys that. Jalen Ramsey don't have to do nothing. Jaylen Waddle. We'll be playing cards—and I'm talking 20 seconds before practice—he steps on the field, buckles his helmet, and he's good to go. No stretch, nothing.
We had to go to Philly, and we won the first-ever road playoff game in Saints history.
For sure. Especially in Philly, that was an insane environment. Trent Cole, he was the defensive end, he’s like an Eagles legend. During the week, he was talking so much smack. He's like, "Man, they got a rookie in front of me? I'm going to kill him."
He didn't kill me at all. I had a great game against the guy. He kind of jump-started my career. It was like, All right, maybe this Armstead, he might be on to something. He held Trent Cole in check. But then going next week to Seattle, who ended up winning the Super Bowl, that was a different beast.
Listen, it was different. Different. That defense was insane, bro. Kam Chancellor almost broke my jaw through my helmet. He hit me so hard, bro, so hard. It was crazy. I went back to the sideline and told everybody, "Hey, watch out for number 31. He is coming downhill. Watch out."
That was the best of the best. And I loved it. I had a great game. The crowd was insane. Sean Payton had these specialized earplugs in. He had them custom-made for every player, to where we couldn't hear the crowd really. Everything was non-verbal, just off indicators. We had no communication. In the huddle, we had to read Drew's lips because we had the earplugs in. It was crazy.
That definitely solidified that I belonged, like I can do it. Because I'm telling you, that defense is one of the best ever. I've had more moments throughout my career where it's like, I'm nice, I'm really like that. But that was really my, you're here for real now. This is the best of the best. You can compete on this level, you're good to go, you can do this.
I think 2015, so my third year in the league, is where I became one of the notable tackles. I was a Pro Bowl alternate that year, and I was balling. I had my jump sets going. I had these different techniques going. Every week I was graded one of the highest tackles in the league. I probably was the highest graded tackle that year.
I've seen players come in and be content with whatever the situation is: practice squad, being a backup. Every time, I urge them all, you cannot stay in that place. That is a very replaceable spot. It don't matter if it's your best friend in front of you, your objective is to take his job. Plain and simple. I tell all the guys that.
Man, it's a lot. I was just trying to be a sponge. Dan Roushar, my old O-line coach, Frank Smith, another O-line coach. Drew Brees, Jahri Evans, Ben Grubbs. Sean Payton. Seriously, I learned what a standard is. I learned what your daily intention is. I learned how important the details are, the small things, being somewhere on time. You know what I mean? Don't be over this certain weight. I learned a lot throughout the way.
Yeah, pretty much polar opposites as far as personalities go. But they still have a lot of similarities though, man. Both of them see the game like very few others. They're able to anticipate what the defense is going to do, what the response is going to be. They're able to draw up things that I feel like very few people on the planet can do.
I would say two. I had one against Myles Garrett, I think in 2019, elite battle. It was a toe-to-toe slugfest. Then the 2018 NFC Championship Game, I was balling balling. It didn’t matter who was out there. I was balling.
I'm most known for my Christmas game. It was the game that Alvin Kamara had six touchdowns. I had some viral blocks during that. But those two games, I feel like I played better than even that Christmas game.
I've seen everybody. I had battles with Everson Griffen, Chandler Jones, Robert Quinn. Those probably were the three guys I saw the most that were always super challenging. But the best guy to me is Von Miller. I think he's probably the best pass rusher, maybe one of the best ever.
Von Miller and Myles Garrett, those two. I've seen some guys on film as I'm preparing that were spooky. Watching Maxx Crosby on film, insane. Watching Nick Bosa on film, insane. Joey [Bosa], too. Joey's a lot of hands, he's shifty. But Nick will run through your face and he'll also go around you too.
This year presented me some challenges that were really, really steep. Getting the news that I needed a knee replacement—and just deciding to go play and do everything I possibly could to finish the year—that was definitely the moment. But after the season, I explored a couple options, talked to some doctors to see if there was anything possible. I just wanted to make sure there's no stone left unturned if I did ever have that itch to go back or whatever.
But that's not the case. I'm done. I am so happy. I'm excited. I'm peaceful.
It was about Week 3.
Bum, for real. I had to make the decision right there if I was going to hang it up, protect the knee, ice it or whatever. But I'd already started the season, let's go, let's do it. And I played a lot this year! Played well, too, despite everything.
I want to challenge that penalty, too. It wasn’t a hold.
For linemen in general, it's the knees, it's the back, and it's the shoulders. Those are the three that linemen deal with the most.
Everything else is actually feeling pretty good, especially now that I've lost weight and I'm continuing to drop weight. I’m at 270 right now. I'm going to try to get down to—not try, I'm going to get down to 250. That'll be my fighting weight. If you're able to mentally stay away from certain things, it starts coming off fast. It does. But that's the challenge, especially when you love food like myself.
For sure, two of the great cities of our country. New Orleans is full of tradition and history and resilience. That city is crazy, it is. I love it. It's its own place, bro. No other place in this country gives you New Orleans. Earlier, we was outside a little bit. Then I got to about year four or five…not nearly as much.
Miami, I went there going into year 10, so I was in a different space. I used to go to Miami on vacation and kick it with the homies. So, when I got there as a player, it was work and home. That was it. I really didn't go anywhere. It was just trying to lock in with a new city and new team.
You feel me? It’s different, bro. We getting old.
That was my initial [thought] for sure. When I first came in, that was coming out of the lockout situation, and then Sean Payton and the Saints were coming out of the bounty situation. So when we got there, Sean had just went through a whole lifestyle change. He was doing CrossFit. He's wearing Lululemon and tracksuits.
So, we had these travel suits. I got really comfortable just doing that all the time. But then as I started to get to probably year three or four, I remembered watching Deion Sanders coming to the games, Ray Lewis, the “look good, play good” type of mantra. I wanted to get into that, and I started getting more into suits. I met this guy Cortez Jackson in New Orleans who had his suit company, Lavoisier. I became the face of Lavoisier. I was on billboards in the city and all that, really just embraced the fashion one hundred percent.
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Like I said, in New Orleans it wasn't many guys that was putting it together, because of the travel suits. But Mark Ingram, he's one that’s going to put it on for sure. Alvin Kamara has a unique style. He's different, but he's swaggy. Cam Jordan, he thinks he's the cleanest ever. Sometimes he did it right. Sometimes [I was] like, No, bro, I don't agree. But in New Orleans, those three guys were the most into fashion.
I've been thinking, brainstorming. I have so many songs already done over the last two, three years. I might just drop what I have in my notes.
I had been having little conversations with Interscope about the project that we did for the Madden soundtrack, so maybe potentially collabing with Interscope if possible. But be on the lookout. Music, I love it. I do. It's a part of me. Music will be coming back.
I wrote everything that day.
One day, one session. I was on. I wrote seven verses, not full songs, but some hooks and all my verses for seven songs. We ended up using five.
All lyrics. I can write, for sure. It’s some wizards out there. There's some guys that hear things—the smallest little tone and will just dive into that. Like, Oh, we need to use this part. Bro, how did you even hear that? Everything that was being said, all the instruments playing. How did you even hear that?
Interscope, bro, they were using Dr. Dre’s original soundboard from back in the day. It is crazy how many gadgets [there were]. It was a great experience. Once I get into my creative bag and it's flowing, it starts to write itself. I just hear a beat and everything will start to pop up in my head. I sit, I write it, and I rap it. When I go in the actual booth, I like to be one take. I want to just go in, knock it out. I'm not a punch-in guy. Why are we stopping and starting? Let me ride it. I got it. I'm going in.
Man, you asking the real questions!
Listen, that would be the ultimate honor. I love my career. I have no regrets. I played the game at a very high level. Every single year I put the cleats on, I was always one of the top tackles, in an era of tackles too! That left tackle position was stacked throughout the years that I played.
That is a fact. I mean, I have no idea what the voters will say when they go back in and analyze my career. But whatever is for me will be for me. You know?
Alright, let me give you some insight right here. The 2018 NFC Championship Game. We had a play in. We ran it a few times throughout the year at practice. It was called 84 left tackle throwback. Drew takes the snap, rolls to the right, throws it back to me, boom, wide open touchdown.
We were getting towards the end of the game, fourth quarter. We're in the red zone, probably like the 10-yard line. Sean Payton called the play, 84 left tackle throwback. After we break the huddle, time out. The play before, the sixth offensive lineman, Will Clapp, came in and reported eligible. So, he couldn't stay in the game. We couldn't do another lineman-eligible play because he just was in the play before. He would have to be eligible again, or we can't do that type of play.
We didn’t really know that either. So we called time out, and the next play is the no-call. That could have been my touchdown, could have been my catch, could have been my ticket to the Super Bowl.
It would've been storybook, really. I lost my mind.
I have hands. What? High-level, for sure. 4.71 [40-yard dash]. I was out there sliding. NFL Combine record, check me out.