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Reuben Foster

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Reuben Foster
Alabama Crimson Tide – No. 10
PositionLinebacker
ClassSenior
Personal information
Born: (1994-04-04) April 4, 1994 (age 30)
Alabama
Height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight236 lb (107 kg)
Career history
College
High schoolAuburn (AL)
Career highlights and awards

Reuben Foster (born April 4, 1994) is an American football linebacker. He currently attends the University of Alabama in his senior year. A consensus High School All-American, Foster was regarded as the No. 1 inside linebacker prospect of his class.[1][2][3]

High school career

A native of Alabama, Foster moved across the border to LaGrange, Georgia, after sixth grade.[4] He attended Troup County High School, where he was teammates with Quan Bray and J. C. Copeland. During his freshman year in a game against Columbus (GA) Carver, Foster had a heralded performance against blue chip running back Isaiah Crowell. "That was my coming out party. That's when they started calling me 'freakish freshman'," said Foster.[5] He completed his freshman season with 110 tackles, and added 112 as a sophomore.[6]

Foster finished his junior season at Troup County High School with 185 tackles, including 34 tackles for loss and 18 sacks. In February 2012, Troup County headcoach Charles Flowers was dismissed, allegedly due to a rumor that he paid a football player to move from Lanett, Alabama, to West Point, Georgia, in order to play for Troup.[7] Immediately afterwards, Foster announced his intention to transfer to another high school for his senior season.[8]

He eventually moved back to Alabama and enrolled at Auburn High School in April 2012,[9] where he became teammates with Rashaan Evans. Along with the transfer came a switch in commitment from Alabama to Auburn, which triggered an NCAA investigation.[10] In his senior year at Auburn High, Foster recorded 80 tackles (70 solo) and two sacks, helping the Tigers advance to the quarterfinals of the Class 6A playoffs. Auburn lost 7–8 in a grueling, defensive battle to rival Opelika at Duck Samford Stadium.[11]

Foster participated in the 2013 Under Armour All-America Game, finishing with six tackles and 2.5 for loss, earning Defensive MVP honors.[12]

Recruiting

"Everything you’ve heard about Reuben Foster, it’s all true – he’s big, fast, strong, explosive and finishes off his tackles as good as any player I’ve ever seen in this business. He’s the complete package at linebacker."

Rusty Mansell, National Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports.com.[13]

Regarded as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Foster is listed as the No. 1 inside linebacker of his class.[14] Chris Yeager, who coached the Alabama All-Stars in the 2012 Alabama-Mississippi Classic, compared Foster to Cornelius Bennett.[15] Ever since his sophomore year, Foster was offered by a number of SEC schools. In July 2011, Foster verbally committed to Alabama,[16] citing the NFL pedigree of headcoach Nick Saban and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart as the decisive factor. However, Foster was not firm on his commitment, so other schools continued to recruit him.[17] After transferring to Auburn High School prior to his senior year, Foster decided to de-commit from Alabama, and switched to Auburn University. "At the end of the day, I feel like Auburn University is the place for me and my family. I am 100 percent confident with my final decision," said Foster.[18] He went so far to have the Auburn University emblem tattooed on his right arm.[19] His commitment to the Tigers, however, only lasted until December 2012, when Auburn dismissed head coach Gene Chizik, and assistant coach Trooper Taylor, to whom Foster had developed a personal relationship.[20] Foster went through January looking at different schools, including Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia, Washington, Miami (FL) and LSU,[21] with Georgia believed to be the favorite.[22] On National Signing Day, however, Foster re-committed to Alabama.[23]

College career

Foster debuted as a true freshman for Alabama in the season-opener against Virginia Tech, registering one assisted tackle. He appeared in a total of nine games over the season, registering 12 tackles (4 solo), including one tackle for a loss of yardage. Competing to fill the vacancy at inside linebacker left by Butkus Award winner C. J. Mosley, Foster was injured during spring practice on April 5, 2014.[24] The starting job eventually went to Reggie Ragland, but Foster still played in 11 games and had the third-most special teams tackles on the team with eight. He made his first career start at “Mike” linebacker against West Virginia, compiling seven total tackles with two solo stops and a tackle for loss (−2 yards). Foster finished his sophomore season with 22 tackles including 11 solo stops, two tackles for loss (−5 yards) and one sack (−3 yards, against Texas A&M). He was named the Butkus Award Winner, given to the nation's best linebacker, at the end of the 2016 regular season.

Personal

Foster was born to Inita Berry Paige and Danny Foster. His father allegedly shot his estranged wife in November 1995, while she was holding 18-month-old Reuben Foster, who was wounded in the back.[25] Danny Foster was indicted by a grand jury in 1996 but fled the state before being arrested in California. He was extradited to Randolph County but escaped from jail in December 1996. He took on a new identity in Miami, but was arrested after spending 16 years on the run and will again be extradited to Randolph County, Alabama.[26][27]

Reuben Foster has fathered a daughter (A‘Zyia Blackmon, born 2009), with the younger sister of former Auburn linebacker Tray Blackmon.[28][29]

In April 2016, Foster was present (although not involved) in a shooting that left three dead outside a nightclub in Auburn, Alabama.[30]

References

  1. ^ 247sports.com Composite Rankings ILB 2013
  2. ^ Rivals.com ILB 2013 Ranking
  3. ^ Scout.com MLB 2013 Ranking
  4. ^ "Five-star Reuben Foster glad to be back". ESPN. September 10, 2012.
  5. ^ Ostendorf, Greg (October 5, 2012). "No. 2 ESPN 150 prospect and Auburn commit Reuben Foster accepts Under Armour All-America Game jersey". ESPN.com.
  6. ^ Newberg, Jamie (May 24, 2011). "Reuben Foster creating a buzz". ESPN.com.
  7. ^ "Flowers fired as Troup County football coach". WTVM. February 22, 2012.
  8. ^ "Alabama LB recruit to transfer after coach's firing". February 22, 2012.
  9. ^ Scalici, Matt. "Elite Tide commitment Reuben Foster transferring to Auburn High School". AL.com.
  10. ^ "Recruitment of Auburn pledge Reuben Foster under investigation". USA Today. August 13, 2012.[dead link]
  11. ^ "Opelika rallies late to top Auburn, advances to semifinals". Opelika-Auburn News. November 24, 2012.
  12. ^ "Foster earns defensive MVP honors in All-America Game". Opelika-Auburn News. January 4, 2013.
  13. ^ http://blogs.ajc.com/recruiting/2011/12/30/alabama-lb-commit-still-flirting-with-uga-more-on-2011-junior-bowl/
  14. ^ http://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/playerrankings/_/position/inside-linebacker/class/2013/view/position
  15. ^ Sentell, Jeff (December 19, 2012). "Better than advertised? Auburn High's Reuben Foster hits that mark and everything else". AL.com.
  16. ^ Carvell, Michael (July 18, 2011). "LB Reuben Foster commits to Alabama over UGA". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  17. ^ Carvell, Michael (December 30, 2011). "Reuben Foster is committed to Alabama but still flirting with UGA". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  18. ^ Scarborough, Alex (July 12, 2012). "Top recruit Reuben Foster switches from Alabama Crimson Tide to Auburn Tigers". ESPN.
  19. ^ "The winding road to Bama". ESPN. May 1, 2013.
  20. ^ Scalici, Matt (December 7, 2012). "Five-star linebacker Reuben Foster decommits from Auburn, considering Alabama again". AL.com.
  21. ^ Galloway, Jason (December 27, 2012). "Auburn High's Foster named Defensive Player of the Year". Opelika-Auburn News.
  22. ^ https://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1457820
  23. ^ Reuben Foster commits to Alabama Crimson Tide despite Auburn Tigers tattoo
  24. ^ "Alabama cornerback Eddie Jackson, linebacker Reuben Foster injured at spring scrimmage". AL.com. April 5, 2014.
  25. ^ "Local fugitive captured in Miami after 16 years". Randolph Leader. February 8, 2013.
  26. ^ Father of Alabama signee arrested after 16 years on run
  27. ^ Arrested fugitive is Alabama football signee Reuben Foster's father
  28. ^ http://auburn.scout.com/2/1201917.html
  29. ^ Family decision for LB Reuben Foster
  30. ^ "Reuben Foster present during triple homicide, but was not involved, Auburn police say". AL.com. April 29, 2016.
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