Arian Isa Foster (born August 24, 1986) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
and current musical artist under the name Bobby Feeno. He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at the
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...
, and was signed by the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
. Foster was known for his signature
Namaste
''Namaste'' (, Devanagari: नमस्ते), sometimes called ''namaskar'' and ''namaskaram'', is a customary Hindu non-contact manner of respectfully greeting and honouring a person or group, used at any time of day. It is found on the In ...
bow, which he frequently performed after scoring touchdowns. Foster holds the Texans franchise records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and also played for the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. Foster announced his retirement from the NFL on October 24, 2016.
Early years
Foster was born August 24, 1986, in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
, to Carl Foster, a former
wide receiver for the
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
, and Bernadette Sizemore, a secretary for the university. Foster's father signed with the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
in 1982, though was not able to make it through the summer, and never actually made it to the NFL. Foster has four siblings, Abdul, who was also an athlete, running
track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
in high school and in college at
Florida A&M
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), commonly known as Florida A&M, is a public historically black land-grant university in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1887, It is the third largest historically black university in the U ...
, and his sister Christina, his brother Braxton and sister Maria.
Foster's mother encouraged him to play football at the age of 7, to the dismay of Foster's father, an ex-wide receiver himself. As a former player at a high level, Carl was not supportive of the idea of his son entering the sport at such a young age. Foster took to the game, telling his elementary school teacher that he intended to become "a star in the NFL."
Foster attended Taft Middle School in Albuquerque.
His parents divorced in 2000 while he was attending
Valley High School in Albuquerque, and in 2002, he moved to San Diego with his father. Foster competed in
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
at
Mission Bay Senior High School
Mission Bay High School (MBHS), is a public high school located in the San Diego, California community of Pacific Beach. It is a magnet school with emphasis on Academic Studies.
In Fall 2006, Mission Bay introduced International Baccalaureate c ...
, where he initially played as a linebacker, but became a full-time running back in his junior and senior years. He was Mission Bay's featured running back those years, and led
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the fi ...
in all-purpose yards with 2,500 while compiling 2,093 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns in addition to six scores on kickoff returns his senior year.
In a game against
Clairemont High School
Clairemont High School is a public high school serving grades 9-12. It is located in the community of Clairemont Mesa, San Diego, California, United States. It is part of the San Diego Unified School District. The campus is situated close to the ...
, Foster ran for 321 yards and for his efforts, he was named ''
San Diego Union Tribune
''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868.
Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'' All-San Diego Western League Player of the Year, received All-West Region appointment by ''
PrepStar
''PrepStar College Recruiting'', known also as ''PrepStar'', is an online magazine at www.prepstar.com, which was established in 1982. It provides information on the top football and basketball prospects in the United States. The online magazin ...
'', and also earned All-California Interscholastic Federation honors.
He earned a three-star rating from
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
.
Then-Tennessee offensive coordinator
Randy Sanders
Randy Sanders (born September 22, 1965) is a retired American football coach.
He is the only person to have been a part of both the first and last Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Champions, having been quarterbacks coach and offensive co ...
and running backs coach
Trooper Taylor
Carl "Trooper" Taylor (born February 20, 1970) is an American college football coach at Duke University. Taylor was formerly an assistant coach at Auburn University from January 2009 until December 2012 where he served as assistant head coach ...
were impressed by Foster when recruiting in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
.
Foster committed to attend Tennessee on January 28, 2004.
Foster also competed on the
track & field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
team as a sprinter and high jumper. He had personal-bests of 11.24 seconds in the
dash
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen b ...
, and had a top-jump of 6'2.5" in the
high jump
The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...
. He was also a member of the
4 × 100 m relay squad.
High school statistics
''Note: Incomplete''
College career
Foster
red-shirted his first season as a
Tennessee Volunteer, sitting behind
Gerald Riggs Jr. and
Cedric Houston on the depth chart. He was a three-year starter at
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
for Tennessee.
2005 season
In his 2005 freshman season, Foster was an immediate contributor. He took on a heavier responsibility in the running game later in the season. Foster made his collegiate debut on September 3 against
Alabama-Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama. Developed from an academic extension center established in 1936, the institution became a four-year campus in 1966 and a fully autonomous univ ...
. On October 1, in a home game against the
Ole Miss Rebels
The Ole Miss Rebels are the 18 men's and women's intercollegiate athletic teams that are funded by and represent the University of Mississippi, located in Oxford. The first was the football team, which began play in 1893.
Originally known as th ...
, he had his first collegiate touchdown on a one-yard run late in the fourth quarter of the 27–10 victory. On October 22, in a game against #5
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, Riggs suffered a season-ending injury, putting more rushing opportunities onto Foster. On October 29, in a home game against the
South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I.
The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fighti ...
, he had 25 carries for 148 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the narrow 16–15 loss. On November 5, in a road game against the #8
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the athletic teams that represent the University of Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish participate in 23 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I intercollegiate sports and in the NCAA's Division ...
, he had 28 carries for 125 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 41–21 loss. In the following game against the
Memphis Tigers
The Memphis Tigers are the Sport, athletic teams that represent the University of Memphis, located in Memphis, Tennessee. The teams compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I level as a member of ...
, he had 28 carries for 132 rushing yards in the 20–16 victory at home. In the next game, he had a commanding individual performance in a 28–24 loss against the
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 10 women's team ...
.
Despite the Commodores snapping a 22-game losing streak to Tennessee, he had 40 carries, scored two touchdowns, and his total of 268 all-purpose yards was the third-highest total in school history.
In the regular season finale in a road game against the
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
, he had 114 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards in the 27–8 victory. Overall, in the 2005 season, he finished as the team's leading rusher with 879 rushing yards, five rushing touchdowns, 14 receptions, and 148 receiving yards.
2006 season
Foster's
sophomore season saw a downturn in production with the emergence of Lamarcus Coker and Montario Hardesty in the backfield. He started the 2006 season with 17 carries for 69 rushing yards and a four-yard receiving touchdown in the 35–18 home victory over the #9
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Berkeley. Referred to in athletic competition as ''California'' or ''Cal'', the university fields 30 varsity athletic programs and various club te ...
. In the next two games combined, Foster only carried nine times for 24 rushing yards in a 31–30 victory over
Air Force
An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
and a 21–20 loss to #7
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. Foster suffered through an ankle injury and it ended up costing him two games. He returned on October 7, in a road game against the #10
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
, he had 15 carries for 63 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 51–33 victory. On October 21, against
rival
A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant o ...
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
, he had the go-ahead one-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter of the 16–13 victory. Foster ended the season with 91 carries for 322 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Tennessee's final game of the season was the
2007 Outback Bowl against the
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the athletic teams of Pennsylvania State University, except for the women's basketball team, known as the Lady Lions. The school colors are navy blue and white. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion. The interco ...
, in which Foster fumbled with ten minutes remaining deep in Penn State territory.
The ball was picked up by cornerback Tony Davis and returned 88 yards for a touchdown, breaking a 10–10 tie and providing the winning points in Penn State's 20–10 victory.
2007 season
His
junior season saw Foster take over as the main running back. In the regular season opener against #12
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, he had 13 carries for 89 rushing yards to go along with three receptions for 20 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 45–31 loss. In the second game, against the
Southern Miss Golden Eagles
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles (also known as Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles and Lady Eagles) are the intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), located in Hattiesburg, Missi ...
, he had 125 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 39–19 victory at home. Against the #3
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Florida, located in Gainesville. The University of Florida, its athletic program, its alumni and its sports fans are often collectively referred to as t ...
at the Swamp, Foster fumbled a left-handed hand-off from injured quarterback
Erik Ainge which was recovered by Gators linebacker Dustin Doe and returned eighteen yards for a touchdown.
Up to that point, Tennessee had been gaining momentum and pulled to within eight points of tying the game, but the botched play made the score 35–20 and triggered a 24-point Florida run to close out the contest.
On October 6, at home against the #12
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The female athletic teams are sometimes referred to as Lady Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference ( ...
, he had 98 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 35–14 victory. In the following game, against the
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Mississippi State Bulldogs is the name given to the athletic teams of Mississippi State University, in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The university is a founding member of the Southeastern Conference and competes in NCAA Division I.
Sports sp ...
, he had 139 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 33–21 victory. In the game against the
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a mem ...
at
Bryant-Denny Stadium, he had 91 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with four receptions for 74 receiving yards in the 41–17 loss. On October 27, at home against the #15
South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I.
The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fighti ...
, he had 19 carries for 75 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 27–24 victory. On November 3, at home against the
Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns
The Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns are the athletic teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The college has been competing athletically since 1901. The Ragin' Cajuns compete in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams.
Nickname
The univ ...
, he had 20 carries for 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 59–7 victory. In the next game, against the
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville. The University of Arkansas student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (ori ...
, he had 83 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, his seventh consecutive game with a rushing touchdown, in the 34–13 victory. Foster surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with a 118-yard performance on 27 carries in a 52–50 win on the road against the
Kentucky Wildcats
The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...
. In addition, he tallied nine receptions for 98 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the game. He finished his junior season with 245 carries for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also catching 39 passes for 340 yards and an additional two scores. He finished third in the SEC in rushing yards.
2008 season
Foster's breakout junior season resulted in a second-round grade
from the draft advisory board and led him to consider leaving school. However, head coach
Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Edward Fulmer Sr. (born September 1, 1950) is a former American football player, coach, and athletic director at the University of Tennessee. He served as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team from 1992 to 2008, compiling ...
persuaded him to stay for his senior season, a decision Foster would later deeply regret.
Playing under the third position coach and offensive coordinator of his tenure,
Foster was utilized in a rotation following the installation of a new offensive scheme that the Tennessee coaches thought was a better fit for some of the other running backs on the roster. He only had one game with 100 rushing yards, the second game of the season, a 35–3 victory over the
UAB Blazers
The UAB Blazers are the varsity intercollegiate athletic programs that represent the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The school is one of the fourteen member institutions of Conference USA (C-USA) and participates in Division I of th ...
. For his part, Fulmer would attribute Foster's diminished workload to knee and thigh injuries which would later be disputed.
In the end, Foster compiled 570 yards on 131 carries with just one touchdown in his senior season.
Foster finished his collegiate career as the school's second all-time leading rusher with 2,964 yards, only trailing
Travis Henry
Travis Deion Henry (born October 29, 1978) is a former American football running back who played seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Tennessee. He was drafted by the Bills in t ...
.
His legacy, however, was mixed. He fumbled just five times on a school-record 650 carries, but all of them came at critical moments. His former coach Fulmer has defended Foster regarding these crucial mistakes, saying "There were a couple of fumbles that were untimely that people want to remember; they forget about his full career, about how special he was. He had a couple of fumbles after a couple of big runs. They were costly, but we probably wouldn't have been there without him."
Among all players in Tennessee history to reach 1,000 rushing yards, Foster finished second in receiving yards in school history with 742, only trailing
Stanley Morgan.
College statistics
Professional career
Foster's subpar senior campaign caused his draft stock to plummet, as well as scouts' concerns about his below-average pass-blocking, issues with ball security, character issues (partly due to his earlier arrest) and the less-than-stellar reviews from Tennessee staff members that portrayed him as selfish and hard to coach.
Foster ranked 24th among running backs available in the
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
, according to ''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...
''. A pulled hamstring prevented Foster from working out at the
NFL Scouting Combine
The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium (and formerly at the RCA Dome until 2008) in Indianapolis, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Footb ...
, and he had a poor showing at Tennessee's Pro Day when he registered a 4.65 40-yard dash, 4.50 short shuttle, vertical leap and 9′7″ broad jump.
The combination of factors led to Foster being undrafted at the
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, New York, on April 25 and 26, 2009. T ...
; after several teams showed interest in him as a rookie free agent, he chose to sign a contract with the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
in May 2009
because he thought the situation suited him.
Houston Texans
2009 season
Foster was signed by the
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
on May 1, 2009. He was released by the team on September 5, 2009, but was later signed to the Texans' practice squad on September 6 and signed to the active roster on November 17. Foster made his NFL debut against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
on November 23, 2009, but recorded no offensive statistics in the 20–17 loss. In Week 16, he scored his first NFL career touchdown against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
in Miami on December 27, 2009, on a 17-yard run up the middle in the second quarter of the 27–20 victory. Foster made his first career start against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in the regular season finale on January 3, 2010, and ran for 119 yards and scored twice on 20 carries in the 34–27 victory.
Overall, Foster played six games, starting one, during the 2009 season, finishing with 54 carries for 257 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with eight receptions for 93 receiving yards.
2010 season
Before the 2010 season, Foster changed his number from #37 to #23. In the 2010 season opener on September 12, Houston played against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. Foster replaced
Steve Slaton
Steve Slaton (born January 4, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for West Virginia University, and earned consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 200 ...
, the starting running back in the 2009 season, and broke many franchise records, rushing 33 times for 231 yards and three touchdowns in the 34–24 victory. In addition to breaking the franchise record for the most rushing yards in a single game, he and Slaton combined for 260 rushing yards, well over the team record for most total in a game, and also the most rushing yards given up to a single player by the Indianapolis Colts.
Foster posted the second-highest NFL opening day rushing total, trailing only
O. J. Simpson's 250 yards against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
in
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
. In Week 3 against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, he had 17 carries for 106 rushing yards in the 27–13 loss. In Week 4, against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
after being benched for the first quarter, Foster recorded the longest run in Texans franchise history when he scored on a 74-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to break a 14–14 tie. Houston went on to win 31–24 behind Foster's 187 yards from scrimmage. In Week 6, against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
, he had 18 carries for 71 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 35–31 victory. In Week 8, against the Indianapolis Colts, he had 15 carries for 102 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the 30–17 loss. He followed that up with 27 carries for 127 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 29–23 loss to the
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...
. In Week 11 against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, he had 84 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 30–27 loss. In the next game, against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, he had 30 carries for 143 rushing yards in the 20–0 victory. In Week 13 against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, he had 83 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with a receiving touchdown in the 34–24 loss. In Week 14 against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, he had 20 carries for 100 rushing yards in the 34–28 loss.
After being passed in rushing yards by
Jamaal Charles
Jamaal RaShaad Jones Charles (born December 27, 1986) is a former American football running back. He played college football for the University of Texas, where he won the 2006 Rose Bowl, and was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third ro ...
during the Chiefs' last game of the regular season, Foster posted another stunning performance rushing for 180 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in Week 17 against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
to solidify his spot as the 2010 rushing leader. Foster finished the 2010 season by winning the
rushing title with 1,616 rushing yards and 604 receiving yards breaking the record set by
Priest Holmes
Priest Anthony Holmes (born October 7, 1973)
''www.databasefootball.com.'' Retrieved February 13, 2016 ...
for most yards from scrimmage ever by an undrafted player. He was invited to the
2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST (2:00 p.m. local time) on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The NFC won 55–41, despi ...
, which was his first career invite. He was ranked 25th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2011
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2011 was the first season of the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the Nati ...
.
2011 season
Foster strained his hamstring twice during the 2011 preseason – at one point creating controversy due to his
tweeting
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, ...
of an
MRI
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves ...
image of the damaged tendon
– resulting in his missing the Texans' season opener against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
.
Foster returned in Week 2 against the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, but had to leave the game due to a re-aggravation of his hamstring.
Foster missed Houston's Week 3 game on the road against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, but returned to face the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
the following Sunday. Against Pittsburgh, Foster ran the ball 30 times for 155 yards, including a 42-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run that proved to be the winning points in the Texans' 17–10 victory. In what was his tenth career 100-yard game, Foster's total of 155 yards was the second-most by a running back against the Steelers defense since 2001, and the most since
Curtis Martin
Curtis James Martin Jr. (born May 1, 1973) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. He spent his first three seasons with the New England Patrio ...
tallied 174 yards against the Steelers on December 14, 2003.
Additionally, his 42-yard touchdown was the longest scoring run allowed by the Steelers since 2006.
The Texans squared off with the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
at home in Week 5. Foster had a tough time generating yards on the ground, tallying just 68 yards on 22 carries.
It was as a pass-catcher that Foster shone against Oakland, catching just five passes for 116 yards, including a career-long 60-yard reception in the third quarter. A last-minute rally by Houston fell short when quarterback
Matt Schaub
Matthew Schaub (born June 25, 1981) is a former American football quarterback who played for 17 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers, and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the th ...
was intercepted in the end zone as Houston fell, 25–20. In Week 6, the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
' stout defense proved a challenge for Foster as he was limited to just 49 yards on 15 carries in a decisive 29–14 loss. Foster continued to contribute in the passing game catching six passes for 52 yards in the losing effort. Foster exploded in Week 7 against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries while accumulating 119 yards receiving and another touchdown on five catches. This helped the Texans en route to a 41–7 victory over their division foe and established them as the division leader. Foster followed up his career-day against the Titans with a solid performance against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
. In a tough, ball-control type of game, Foster equaled his career-high in rushing attempts with 33, totaling 112 yards on the ground. In contrast to Foster's prolific pass-catching in recent weeks, the Jaguars limited Foster to just one catch for 12 yards out of the backfield in Houston's 24–14 victory. On December 22, he had 158 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 19–16 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 16. Overall, he finished the 2011 season with 278 carries for 1,224 rushing yards and ten rushing touchdowns to go along with 53 receptions for 617 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Foster was invited to the
2012 Pro Bowl. The Texans finished the season with a 10–6 record and won the
AFC South
The American Football Conference – Southern Division or AFC South is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It was created before the 2002 NFL season, 2002 s ...
. In the
Wild Card Round against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, he had 153 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, three receptions, and 29 receiving yards in the 31–10 victory in his playoff debut. In the
Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens, he had 132 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, five receptions, and 22 receiving yards in the 20–13 loss. He was ranked 25th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2012
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2012 was the second season of the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers being ranked #1, while Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning
Elisha Nelson Manning (born January 3, 1981) is a former American football ...
.
2012 season
On March 5, the Texans reportedly reached a deal with Foster, deciding he was worth up to $43.5 million over five years. The contract included $20.75 million guaranteed, $30 million in his first three years, and $18 million in 2012.
Foster started the 2012 season with 26 carries for 79 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 30–10 victory over the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. In Week 2, Foster had 28 carries for 110 rushing yards and a touchdown in the 27–7 victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
. On October 8, in a ''
Monday Night Football
''ESPN Monday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''MNF'' and also known as ''ESPN Monday Night Football on ABC'' for simulcasts) is an American live television broadcast of weekly National Football League (NFL) games currently airing on ESPN, AB ...
'' game against the
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
, Foster reached 5,000 yards from scrimmage in his 40th career game, becoming the third-fastest player to reach the milestone, only behind
Edgerrin James
Edgerrin Tyree James (; born August 1, 1978) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football at the University of Miami ...
(36 games) and
Eric Dickerson
Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Dickerson played college football for the Mustangs of Southern Me ...
(39 games). In his next two games, he recorded two rushing touchdowns in a 42–24 loss to the
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
and the 43–13 victory over the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
. On November 22, against the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, he had 102 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 34–31 victory in Week 12. On December 16, against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, he had 27 carries for 165 rushing yards in the 29–17 victory in Week 15. On December 23 against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
, Foster left the game in the third quarter with an irregular heartbeat. Foster was announced the starting running back in the AFC Division for the
2013 Pro Bowl
The 2013 Pro Bowl was the National Football League (NFL)'s sixty-third annual all-star game which featured players from the 2012 season. It took place at 2:30 pm Hawaii–Aleutian Time ( UTC−10:00; 7:30 pm Eastern Time) on Sunday, Ja ...
. He ended the season with league-high 351 carries for 1,424 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.
The Texans finished the season with a 12–4 record and won the AFC South for the second consecutive year. In the
Wild Card Round against the
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, he had 140 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, eight receptions, and 34 receiving yards in the 19–13 victory. In the
Divisional Round against the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, he had 90 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, seven receptions, 63 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in the 41–28 loss. He was ranked 8th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2013
The NFL Top 100 Players of 2013 was the third season of the series. It ended with reigning NFL MVP Adrian Peterson being ranked #1, while Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco
Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American football quarterba ...
.
2013 season
Foster sustained a back injury in August before the 2013 regular season began, which limited his preseason play, although he was able to play in the first eight weeks of the regular season. Foster was not physically able to complete the season, but during the time that which he played, Foster had 121 carries, advancing the ball for a total of 542 yards, and had a touchdown in their second game of the regular season in which they defeated the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
by a score of 30–24. He left the game in Week 7 against the
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
The tea ...
due to a calf injury. In Week 9, he had to leave the game they lost 27–24 to the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
with a season ending back injury. The injury required surgery for a ruptured disk in Foster's
lumbar spine
The lumbar vertebrae are, in human anatomy, the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis. They are the largest segments of the vertebral column and are characterized by the absence of the foramen transversarium within the transverse p ...
.
Foster had surgery on a bulging disk in his back on November 13, 2013, in Los Angeles. Foster tried to play through the injury in the second divisional game against the Indianapolis Colts, the day he injured his back, and then tried to avoid surgery, but, after speaking with multiple doctors and specialists, Dr. Watkins included, he decided to undergo surgery. Foster made it his goal after this devastating injury and surgery to enter the 2014 season as a healthy contributor to the Texans.
2014 season
In the 2014 season opener, a 17–6 win over the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, Foster had 103 rushing yards on 27 carries. In the following game against the
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, he had 28 carries for 138 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 30–14 victory. On October 5, against the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, he had 23 carries for 157 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 20–17 loss in Week 5. In the next game, against the
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, he had 20 carries for 109 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 33–28 loss. He had 20 carries for 102 rushing yards in the following game, a 30–23 loss against the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
. He recorded his fourth consecutive 100-yard game with 151 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. In addition, he had a receiving touchdown in the 30–16 victory. On December 7, against the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
, he had 24 carries for 127 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 27–13 victory in Week 14. Foster had a great comeback season after returning from his back injury, rushing for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns while having 38 receptions for 327 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. For the fourth season in his career, Foster rushed for at least 1,000 yards. With that accomplishment, Foster was voted to the
2015 Pro Bowl
The 2015 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2014 season. It began at 6 pm local time on January 25 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and it was the first Pro Bowl to be held outside Hawaii ...
, his fourth such nomination in his NFL career. He was named the
FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week
The following is a list of the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week award, sponsored by transportation and delivery company FedEx. Since 2003, following each week of the NFL regular season, six finalists are chosen, based on exemplary ind ...
for his Week 8 performance (151 rushing yards and two touchdowns) against the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
. He was ranked 80th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.
2015 season
Foster started the 2015 season injured and did not play until Week 4 against the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
. Foster ruptured his
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...
on October 25, 2015, in a Week 7 loss to the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. Two days later, Foster was placed on injured reserve, effectively ending his season. Foster played in four games and finished the 2015 season with 63 carries for 163 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to go along with 22 receptions for 227 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.
Foster was released by the Texans on March 3, 2016. He finished his Texans career with 6,472 yards and 54 rushing touchdowns, both franchise records.
Miami Dolphins
On July 18, 2016, Foster signed a one-year contract with the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
. Foster wore #34 during the preseason, but would later change it to #29 before the regular season started. He rushed for 55 yards in four games before suffering another lower body injury.
Retirement
On October 24, 2016, one day after rushing for five yards on three carries in Week 7 against the
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, Foster announced his retirement from the NFL.
NFL career statistics
NFL records
* Most rushing yards against the Indianapolis Colts: (231)
* Most rushing yards in first three playoff games of career: (425)
* Most rushing yards in first four playoff games of career: (515) (tied with
Terrell Davis
Terrell Lamar Davis (born October 28, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2001. He is the Broncos all-time leading rusher and ...
)
* First player in NFL history to have 100+ rushing yards in his first three postseason games
Texans franchise records
* Most career rushing yards (6,472)
* Most career rushing touchdowns (54)
* Most rushing yards in a single season: 1,616
* Most rushing touchdowns in a single season: 16
Film and television
From a young age, Foster expressed a creative interest in activities outside sports, such as poetry in elementary school, and improvisation and theater in high school.
Foster first appeared on television as an actor, and not an athlete, as a guest star of the show ''
Hawaii Five-0
Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to:
* Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series
* Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an Ame ...
'' in an episode that takes place during the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
. He played himself, aiding Danno and McGarrett as they solved the murder of a tech executive, while Foster was in town for the game.
After getting injured in the 2013 season, Foster joined the cast of the movie ''
Draft Day
''Draft Day'' is a 2014 American sports drama film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner. The premise revolves around the fictional general manager of the Cleveland Browns (Costner) deciding what to do after hi ...
'', to play a running back getting drafted into the NFL. The film came out in April 2014.
Foster has not ruled out the possibility of partaking in an acting job once again if it does not interrupt his career as an athlete in any way. In an interview on the subject he stated, "I thoroughly enjoyed my experiences in the film industry thus far. So I don't see why, if an opportunity presents itself again, I wouldn't jump on it, but it won't get in the way of my football career because that's first and foremost. That was my dream since I was seven years old."
In 2015, Foster was one of the narrators for the documentary film ''
Unity
Unity may refer to:
Buildings
* Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building
* Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper
* Unity Buildings, Liverpool, UK; two buildings in England
* Unity Chapel, Wyoming, Wisconsin, US; a h ...
''.
On March 8, 2017, Foster appeared on
Joe Rogan
Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American UFC
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly ...
's
podcast
A podcast is a program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. For example, an episodic series of digital audio or video files that a user can download to a personal device to listen to at a time of their choosing ...
the Joe Rogan Experience #928. He responded to comments he made on Twitter about being able to kill a wolf, and discussed his interest in physics, astronomy, artistic endeavors, and his uncensored take on the NCAA and the NFL. Foster also made a guest appearance on the YouTube podcast Painkiller Already (PKA) during which he gave his opinions on the NFL's battle with CTE and continued with his ideas on killing a wolf. He also told his struggles with dealing with instantaneous fame of college football.
Foster started his own podcast, ''Now What? with Arian Foster'', in fall 2017. The podcast (also available on ''
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
'') features Foster conversing with guests on a wide range of topics "from current events to unexplored regions of our universe."
In 2018, Foster appeared on the
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
series ''
The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars'' as a contestant raising money for his charity the Arian Foster Foundation.
In February 2021, Foster and
PFT Commenter
PFT Commenter (alternatively spelled PFTCommenter or Pro Football Talk Commenter) is a sports media personality portrayed by Eric Sollenberger. Sollenberger, in the persona of PFT Commenter, is a sportswriter who covers the National Football Lea ...
launched a podcast for
Barstool Sports
Barstool Sports is an American blog website and digital media company headquartered in New York City that produces content on sports and pop culture. Founded by David Portnoy in 2003 in Milton, Massachusetts, the company's two primary owners are ...
. Their podcast, ''Macrodosing'', discusses conspiracy theories and cover-ups, and elements such as the deep web.
Music career
On April 26, 2018, Foster released his debut rap album ''Flamingo & Koval'' under the
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Bobby Feeno on
Tidal
Tidal is the adjectival form of tide.
Tidal may also refer to:
* ''Tidal'' (album), a 1996 album by Fiona Apple
* Tidal (king), a king involved in the Battle of the Vale of Siddim
* TidalCycles, a live coding environment for music
* Tidal (servic ...
. The title is named after the intersection at which
rapper 2Pac was shot. The album was recorded under
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...
record label Uninterrupted. His introduction into the music industry was documented in the docuseries ''Becoming Bobby Feeno'' which was produced by Foster, James,
Maverick Carter
Maverick Carter is an American sports-marketing businessman and media personality.
Early life and education
Maverick Carter was born on October 10, 1980 Carter spent most of his youth in Akron, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia. Carter grew up the son ...
, and Humble Lukanga.
Personal life
As was documented on
ESPN
ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
's ''
Sunday NFL Countdown
''Sunday NFL Countdown'' (officially ''Sunday NFL Countdown presented by Snickers'') is an American pregame television program that covers the NFL action for that week. The show airs on ESPN in the United States and TSN in Canada from 10 a.m. to ...
'', Foster was a philosophy major at the University of Tennessee and is an avid writer of poetry.
His first name is an abbreviated form of
Aquarian, which means "water bearer", or, according to his father, "holder of knowledge".
His father is black and his mother is of Mexican descent.
''Sporting News'' called Foster "the most interesting man in the NFL". He became a
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. Di ...
in July 2012. Though this did not last very long, his diet was a very interesting subject to the media for a period of time. Regarding his diet, he said: "I just like to eat healthy, man. That whole vegan thing, a lot of people are really interested in my food... I've had meat since I've said I don't eat meat anymore. I like to stay with the plant-based foods, but every now and then, I'll eat meat."
Foster revealed his political affiliation during an NFL game, stating he is "in the
Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...
", and he voted for
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...
, who ran as a Republican in the
2012 Presidential election.
Foster was raised as a
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
, but has since renounced religion and now identifies as an
atheist
Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
, although he believes in
reincarnation
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...
.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Arian
1986 births
Living people
African-American atheists
American atheists
African-American players of American football
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American football running backs
American sportspeople of Mexican descent
American former Muslims
Former Muslims turned agnostics or atheists
Houston Texans players
Miami Dolphins players
Players of American football from New Mexico
Players of American football from San Diego
Tennessee Volunteers football players
Unconferenced Pro Bowl players
The Challenge (TV series) contestants
African-American male rappers
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American male musicians