USC football: Lane Kiffin says Armond Armstead will redshirt

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USC Coach Lane Kiffin announced Tuesday that defensive lineman Armond Armstead, who has not played this season because of an unspecified medical condition, will redshirt.

Armstead, a senior from Sacramento, has not been allowed to practice since last spring, when he experienced chest pains. Armstead has said he did not have a heart condition. He said last week that he had sought opinions outside of USC, but that only USC doctors could clear him.

‘After meeting with everybody involved, everyone has come to the same conclusion: the best thing is to redshirt him right now, being this late in the season and having missed so much practice time and so much game time,’ Kiffin said after practice. ‘It’s the best thing for his future so we’ll look to the future for it. He’s going to probably ... finish his degree this semester and [we’ll] have him back next year.’

Asked if USC doctors had cleared Armstead to play, Kiffin said, ‘I’m not really going to go into that. That’s family business.’ He added later: ‘We know whether he is or he isn’t but that’s not for [the media] to know. If the family wants to tell you, that’s their business.’

Armstead was not at practice and not immediately available for comment.

Kiffin said he hoped that Armstead would return to play at USC in 2012, but acknowledged that he might seek to turn pro, saying Armstead was ‘a great player. I’m sure he’ll look at that.’

More later at latimes.com/sports.

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