Arian Foster is truly self-made, more so than Rick Ross and the MMG clique. Back in 2009, Foster looked like a scrub during his NFL pro day in San Diego. His below-average drill times, combined with his well-documented ball carrying issues, put him on no one’s radar in time for the 2009 NFL Draft.
As an undrafted free agent, Foster got his chance when the Texans picked him up shortly after the draft. A few years later, he has got GMs around the league looking glossy-eyed and apologetic for missing out.
“I just remember thinking, ‘take that.’” Foster said on ESPN regarding his NFL breakthrough. “Cause everything that I had been through up to that point was just, man, it was an emotional roller coaster.”
One of Foster’s cons coming out of Tennessee was his lack of a clear strength. He was a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type of running back. It’s been very different in the NFL. Foster has improved all parts of his game in Houston, becoming a true complete player. His stiff arm stops tacklers in their tracks, while his insane one-step cuts make it a challenge to even touch him. The Texans’ offense revolves around him, his league-leading 351 carries for 1,424 yards and 15 TDs is all the proof you need.
With his sound body comes a sound mind, as well. Players around the league frequently say Foster has some of the best vision in football.
“Any gap that’s open, he’s going to find it,” Colts cornerback Cassius Vaughn said in an interview with NFL.com. “He’s going to get you for a lot of yards.
You will be hard pressed to find one Arian Foster hater now, but that doesn’t mean he has nothing to prove. After all, he’s only the No. 2 running back in the league, and he still wants to rack up 1,000 receiving yards in a season before he retires. Add those goals to the Texans’ Super Bowl hopes that are already firmly planted on his back and you have an idea of what lies on Foster’s plate. It’s definitely a lot to carry, but his fumble-happy days with the Vols are history, so H-town is in good hands.
