Central Michigan University Athletics
Inside the Huddle with Armond Staten
10/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Watch: Inside the Huddle with Armond Staten
MOUNT PLEASANT - Most Central Michigan football fans know one side of Armond Staten.
They know that he is a physical linebacker, a player who has waited patiently for his opportunity to step into the Chippewas' defensive starting lineup. They know he is an emotional leader who had a breakout season in 2010, registering a career-high 78 tackles and ranking second nationally with five forced fumbles.
What most fans don't know is the path Staten took to Mount Pleasant.
Now a senior at CMU, on track to graduate in May, Staten spent most of his childhood in foster and group homes in Detroit before living on his own at age 16.
"Elementary and middle school were my hardest times," Staten said. "I was in roughly six different foster homes and two different group homes."
With the influence of Inkster High School head coach Greg Carter ("I talk to him almost every day. He's like my father," Staten said), Staten grew more focused on both academics and football and soon began drawing interest from college football programs across the Midwest. He ultimately chose to attend and play football at CMU, instantly finding a sense of home and security that had been missing most of his life.
"I'll never forget the first night sleeping in the dorms," Staten said. "I didn't hear a police siren, and I looked out the window and was able to see a full moon. It was a totally different setting for me."
Earlier this year, Staten and CMU track and field athlete Whitney Johnson were named recipients of the Wilma Rudolph Award, which honors student-athletes who have overcome great personal, academic, and/or emotional odds to achieve academic success while participating in intercollegiate athletics. Two of just six student-athletes from across the country to win the award in 2011, Staten and Johnson were the first CMU student-athletes to be recognized with the honor.
Staten was lauded again last month at the CHIPYs, when he was selected the inaugural recipient of the Phil Kaiser Family Courage Award. The award was created to recognize and honor an athlete who has demonstrated exceptional courage and integrity throughout his life.
Staten's success and growth as a person is a testament to the human spirit and the ability to overcome life's obstacles. The journey that brought him to where he is today was not a smooth one, but one that can serve as an inspiration to all.
