Armondo Blount Gives Back to the Community That Raised Him with $10,000 Donation to William Dandy Middle School
7 min read
Armondo Blount is showing love to where it all started.
Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Armondo Blount gave back to his old middle school, the same place he grew up attending.
CanesInSight’s DMoney caught up with Blount. Here’s everything he had to say:
DMoney: We're here with Armando Blount, I see you like looking around, eyes real big. What thoughts go through your mind as you walk through William Dandy here?
Blount: It's just amazing to be back and then see how far I came in life and just see my old school. It used to feel so big, but now I feel like it's kind of smaller than it was. Well, I was just smaller then.
DMoney: It's been a long time since then, but this is a real important time for you, from everything I understand, as far as you coming in, maybe an average student and getting here in the law program and taking it to a whole another level, being the top of the class kind of student that you are today. So what impact did this place have on you?
Blount: Teachers believing in me. This was the first school where I had a teacher like telling me, you can do this. You're actually smart. And that just kind of motivated me to do better and believe in myself and just try it. And schoolwork and ever since then, I've just been getting good grades.
DMoney: The law program, that's something different. I didn't have that when I was coming up. So what was that like?
Blount: The law program here was probably the best program I could be in because just being around all the smart kids and learning so much about the law program and actually being on a different level in the school, going out to compete with other schools in mock trials. We had a trial that we worked on for like two months and it was just like, it was exciting to actually be a part of something like that, have a group and have like a family, a core. And that all started in the school and have like a whole group of people believing in you that y'all can do something better.
DMoney: Kind of like what you're doing now in the football field. But when you were there in the mock trial world, did you have that same competitive edge and nastiness that you had in the football field? Like what was your attitude like out there?
Blount: Well, we kind of had the other team like scrambling for words. So we won. They wasn't really on point how we was.
DMoney: Stuttering a little bit?
Blount: Yeah, we was going over the trial for two months, so it was kind of fast with the wording, with the questioning, everything.
DMoney: Do you remember the case at all?
Blount: No, I don't.
DMoney: So obviously, we're here because you are donating $10,000 to the school, which is crazy because you're still in college, man. It's not like you're in the NFL yet. But just what motivated you to do this now for this place?
Blount: I just want to be able to help kids from this area because I feel like this place played a big part in me becoming a successful man at a young age and a part of my education. So I just want to be able to help kids and give back because sometimes a little may not seem like a lot, but it may be enough for that one kid to be motivated. And sometimes that's all it takes.
DMoney: So obviously, made it through spring, feeling healthy. You're playing a lot outside and inside too, but more outside. It felt like this time. So just how do you feel out there and just how did your game progress?
Blount: I feel good. Spring's just been to get better with the team, and that's how it's been the whole spring, just getting better.
DMoney: Mario said you're looking like a pro wrestler these days. We couldn't figure that out last time I saw you in one of these interviews. So just physically, what's your goals for the offseason and conditioning and all that?
Blount: To get stronger, faster, and better at everything.
DMoney: Try to keep your weight or try to go up, go down?
Blount: I don't really have too much to touch on my weight. I just want to get stronger, faster, and better.
DMoney: So listen, you're seeing some of your teammates get drafted here. Really tomorrow. We're filming this on a Wednesday. So Thursday, hopefully, two of your teammates go off the board. You sitting in your seat. How does that motivate you?
Blount: It's been motivating me ever since I've been in college, seeing the first group of guys go through. Every year is just amazing to see that. Wow, they're my friends. They're my guys going through their dreams. It made me feel like I could do the same.
DMoney: Are you still a teenager? You turned 20 while you were here.
Blount: I'm 19 now.
DMoney: Still 19, man. So just, is it one of those things where you're like, man, I'm already halfway through college, maybe even more than that? Or like, what's that feeling like? You're going into your third year, even though you're like 19.
Blount: I should graduate in next January. So I'm almost done.
DMoney: And in terms of your school, because we're here in the school, obviously, just what's your academic focus at the University of Miami?
Blount: I'm majoring in psychology.
DMoney: There you go. So what do you learn about psychology as you've been there or something that stuck out to you?
Blount: Just, as people, we are biased a lot. And I kind of take it in mind to like, we always blame other people for internal reasons, but we always give ourselves external reasons. And I feel that learning that just gave me like an extra understanding for people when certain things happen and not blaming people for things and giving them an external reason. Like, say if someone spilled coffee on you, maybe they was having a bad day. Things like that. Little things like that. It's like just been helping me with interacting with people.
DMoney: Obviously, motivated to see the end of the door and these guys move on, but that's a lot of snaps out the door. And you are someone that definitely is being counted on to step up and bring your talent to the field. So just what's your mindset taking that bigger role?
Blount: Same mindset every year. Ready to attack the season. It's never really changed. I was a younger guy, now I'm an older guy. Same process, just have to work a little bit harder. Gotcha.
Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Armondo Blount gave back to his old middle school, the same place he grew up attending.
CanesInSight’s DMoney caught up with Blount. Here’s everything he had to say:
DMoney: We're here with Armando Blount, I see you like looking around, eyes real big. What thoughts go through your mind as you walk through William Dandy here?
Blount: It's just amazing to be back and then see how far I came in life and just see my old school. It used to feel so big, but now I feel like it's kind of smaller than it was. Well, I was just smaller then.
DMoney: It's been a long time since then, but this is a real important time for you, from everything I understand, as far as you coming in, maybe an average student and getting here in the law program and taking it to a whole another level, being the top of the class kind of student that you are today. So what impact did this place have on you?
Blount: Teachers believing in me. This was the first school where I had a teacher like telling me, you can do this. You're actually smart. And that just kind of motivated me to do better and believe in myself and just try it. And schoolwork and ever since then, I've just been getting good grades.
DMoney: The law program, that's something different. I didn't have that when I was coming up. So what was that like?
Blount: The law program here was probably the best program I could be in because just being around all the smart kids and learning so much about the law program and actually being on a different level in the school, going out to compete with other schools in mock trials. We had a trial that we worked on for like two months and it was just like, it was exciting to actually be a part of something like that, have a group and have like a family, a core. And that all started in the school and have like a whole group of people believing in you that y'all can do something better.
DMoney: Kind of like what you're doing now in the football field. But when you were there in the mock trial world, did you have that same competitive edge and nastiness that you had in the football field? Like what was your attitude like out there?
Blount: Well, we kind of had the other team like scrambling for words. So we won. They wasn't really on point how we was.
DMoney: Stuttering a little bit?
Blount: Yeah, we was going over the trial for two months, so it was kind of fast with the wording, with the questioning, everything.
DMoney: Do you remember the case at all?
Blount: No, I don't.
DMoney: So obviously, we're here because you are donating $10,000 to the school, which is crazy because you're still in college, man. It's not like you're in the NFL yet. But just what motivated you to do this now for this place?
Blount: I just want to be able to help kids from this area because I feel like this place played a big part in me becoming a successful man at a young age and a part of my education. So I just want to be able to help kids and give back because sometimes a little may not seem like a lot, but it may be enough for that one kid to be motivated. And sometimes that's all it takes.
DMoney: So obviously, made it through spring, feeling healthy. You're playing a lot outside and inside too, but more outside. It felt like this time. So just how do you feel out there and just how did your game progress?
Blount: I feel good. Spring's just been to get better with the team, and that's how it's been the whole spring, just getting better.
DMoney: Mario said you're looking like a pro wrestler these days. We couldn't figure that out last time I saw you in one of these interviews. So just physically, what's your goals for the offseason and conditioning and all that?
Blount: To get stronger, faster, and better at everything.
DMoney: Try to keep your weight or try to go up, go down?
Blount: I don't really have too much to touch on my weight. I just want to get stronger, faster, and better.
DMoney: So listen, you're seeing some of your teammates get drafted here. Really tomorrow. We're filming this on a Wednesday. So Thursday, hopefully, two of your teammates go off the board. You sitting in your seat. How does that motivate you?
Blount: It's been motivating me ever since I've been in college, seeing the first group of guys go through. Every year is just amazing to see that. Wow, they're my friends. They're my guys going through their dreams. It made me feel like I could do the same.
DMoney: Are you still a teenager? You turned 20 while you were here.
Blount: I'm 19 now.
DMoney: Still 19, man. So just, is it one of those things where you're like, man, I'm already halfway through college, maybe even more than that? Or like, what's that feeling like? You're going into your third year, even though you're like 19.
Blount: I should graduate in next January. So I'm almost done.
DMoney: And in terms of your school, because we're here in the school, obviously, just what's your academic focus at the University of Miami?
Blount: I'm majoring in psychology.
DMoney: There you go. So what do you learn about psychology as you've been there or something that stuck out to you?
Blount: Just, as people, we are biased a lot. And I kind of take it in mind to like, we always blame other people for internal reasons, but we always give ourselves external reasons. And I feel that learning that just gave me like an extra understanding for people when certain things happen and not blaming people for things and giving them an external reason. Like, say if someone spilled coffee on you, maybe they was having a bad day. Things like that. Little things like that. It's like just been helping me with interacting with people.
DMoney: Obviously, motivated to see the end of the door and these guys move on, but that's a lot of snaps out the door. And you are someone that definitely is being counted on to step up and bring your talent to the field. So just what's your mindset taking that bigger role?
Blount: Same mindset every year. Ready to attack the season. It's never really changed. I was a younger guy, now I'm an older guy. Same process, just have to work a little bit harder. Gotcha.
