Former Texas A&M star in critical condition after gunshot wound

Antonio Armstrong is in critical condition after he was shot by his teenage son.

Antonio Armstrong once fought running backs on the football field. As of Friday morning, he’s fighting for his life.

Armstrong and his wife, Dawn, were fired upon while in the bedroom of their home. Dawn Armstrong did not survive her injuries, while Antonio remains in critical condition at a Houston hospital.

Armstrong’s 16-year-old son has since been charged in Dawn’s murder. The motive, however, remains unknown.

After being drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in 1995, Armstrong played for three NFL teams before signing with the CFL’s B.C. Lions in 1998. Despite a handful of solid seasons, Armstrong’s career was ultimately cut short due to a lingering ankle injury and contract disputes.

Armstrong first made his name at Texas A&M, where the Houston native was crowned Defensive Player of the Game in the 1994 Cotton Bowl en route to an All-American nod as a senior the following year.

The Armstrongs run First Class Training, a gym in Bellaire.

To call this a tragic story — one made all the more so by the arrest of Armstrong’s teenage son — would be an understatement. No one yet knows what sparked the dispute (the Houston police are still investigating the murder), but suffice it to say the answers may be ones we wish we hadn’t heard.

Armstrong was an A&M legend, a titan from the days when the Wrecking Crew defense really was just that. I don’t claim to speak for the Aggies and their fanbase, but I’m sure he’s in their thoughts and prayers right now.

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