See 49ers’ DL Arik Armstrong, native of Sacramento, read ‘The Napping House’ to kids
San Francisco defensive lineman Arik Armstead took his virtual Storytime series to an in-person venue for the first time, visiting the Alviso Youth Center CLubhouse in San Jose.
He read and engaged students there as part of his educational initiative, Storytime with Arik Armstead that was launched in May 2020. He’s reached more than 2,600 children from first- to fifth-grade and read live to 25 separate virtual classrooms in 21 school districts from his hometown of Sacramento to Qatar, according to the San Francisco 49ers.
He’s covered topics including equality, black history and sustainability.
In San Jose, the children’s first choice for reading material was “The Napping House” by Audrey Wood.
“Sounds like a fan favorite,” said Armstrong, who starred for Pleasant Grove High School before going on to play college football at Oregon. He drafted by the 49ers in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Off the field, Armstead is known for his philanthropy. He was named NFLPA Community MVP in Week 4 of the NFL season after donating $250,000 to launch Armstead Academy in Sacramento.
A video shows Armstead visiting the students at the Alviso Youth Center on Monday, November 1, 2021.
