49ers’ Arik Armstead has faith in own abilities

More than a decade ago, Bob Balian went with his friend, Guss Armstead, to see Armstead’s youngest son, Arik, play pee-wee football.

The Sacramento native will make his NFL debut Monday night against the Vikings, five months after the 49ers selected him with the No. 17 pick in the NFL draft.

[...] Balian, the pastor of Bayside Church of Midtown in Sacramento, is proudest of how Armstead has conducted himself as a person on his way to the pros.

At Pleasant Grove High, Armstead, a five-star national recruit, didn’t announce his decision to attend Oregon in the school gym, but at Bayside.

Armstead insists he hardly qualifies as a model of saintly behavior, but it’s clear his faith has helped inform his decisions.

Just ask Oregon tight end Pharaoh Brown, one of Armstead’s best friends who is a former college roommate.

“He’d always go party with us, but I’ve been friends with Arik for four years and I’ve never seen him drink any alcohol,” Brown said.

Said Joe Cattolico, his coach at Pleasant Grove High in Elk Grove: Arik is one of the best young people that I’ve ever worked with. …

Eight 49ers have been arrested since 2012, and two defensive standouts, tackle Ray McDonald and outside linebacker Aldon Smith, have been released in the past nine months because of repeated missteps.

Before the draft, Armstead was viewed as an intriguing prospect with rare physical attributes who could take some time to develop upper-body strength and polish.

[...] his athleticism and desire made a believer of former 49ers defensive tackle Darnell Dockett.

Last month, Dockett insisted Armstead would better the career of Calais Campbell, a 2014 Pro Bowl selection who was Dockett’s teammate in Arizona seven seasons.

Guss Armstead is a trainer who works primarily with NBA players, meaning his son grew up living, training and being humbled by professional athletes.

Arik Armstead, the man child, had a chance to play against men such as Festus Ezeli (Warriors), Matt Barnes (Grizzlies) and Ryan Anderson (Pelicans).

[...] his older brother, Armond, 25, was a defensive lineman at USC whose brief career with the Patriots ended last year because of heart issues.

In other words, Armstead, who was offered a football scholarship by UCLA the summer before his freshman year of high school, was given daily beatings and a road map of how to succeed.

The most influential NBA player was Mike Wilks, 36, an undrafted guard whose eight-year career included eight teams and a 2.5 points-per-game average.

“Mike was a good player, but he played so long in the NBA because people loved him,” Arik said.