ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Before he became a five-time Pro-Bowler and one of the best left tackles in the National Football League, Terron Armstead was just a young kid playing football down Cahokia, Illinois for Cahokia High School.
Armstead says looking back at his youth, he never expected that he was going to make it as a NFL player as a kid from Cahokia, Illinois.
"We never seen it before," said Armstead on The Chris and Amy Show Friday. "We were really good, extremely talented, like grossly talented where I wish we had more eyes and exposure for more guys that go to college from where I'm from. Then I wouldn't have been the first NFL player from the area, it wouldn't be close."
While he is enjoying an NFL career that is set to enter it's 13th season, helping protect Tua Tagovailoa down in Miami for the Miami Dolphins, Armstead's root in Cahokia, Illinois are still strong.
"I come back to the area, maybe three times a year," said Armstead. "Whole family is across the bridge."
Armstead is back in his hometown for the weekend for T. Stead Community weekend. Armstead's foundation, the Terron Armstead Foundation, in partnership with the city of Cahokia Heights and Cahokia Unit School District, will help raise money and help impact over 1,000 underserved youth and families in southern Illinois. It is the second year Armstead has done this weekend in his hometown.
"The foundation has been in existence for about 10 years now," said Armstead. "Our goal is to educate, introduce and expose everyone we come across with more industries, opportunities, and walks of life we have never been introduced to before. I have done a ton of here in neighboring communities (around Cahokia) and also in New Orleans and Miami. The goal here is education."
The weekend activities includes a celebrity basketball game on Friday and a youth football camp for ages 5-15 on Saturday, both events at Cahokia High School.
"We have some very talented individuals coming," said Armstead. "(Dolphins wide receiver) Tyreek Hill, (New Orleans Saints guard) Cesar Ruiz, (Austin Peay guard) Hansel Emmanuel, (Houston Texans left tackle) Laremy Tunsil, (longtime NFL nose tackle) Justin Ellis. We have influencers, entertainers."
Armstead says with the youth football camp, it is what the foundation and Armstead see as their Super Bowl for the weekend.
"We will have bounce houses, game trucks, and face painting," said Armstead. "We will have 10 barbers, cheerleaders, we will have everything, it's a very big community , not just football."
The weekend will cap off with the NASCAR experience, where 25 kids will be able to join Armstead and attend the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday. The kids will also be able to watch rapper T-Pain perform as part of the Confluence Music Festival.