| NEWS Why former 5-star Robert Foster wasn't disappointed in Alabama career

[Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com]

Robert Foster caught 35 passes for 379 yards at Alabama.

A five-star recruit ranked the No. 1 receiver nationally set expectations kinda high for Robert Foster.

Arriving in the summer of 2013, the Pittsburgh native was among the jewels of that top-ranked signing class. It was a group that included Robert Foster, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Allen and A'Shawn Robinson.

Five years later, Robert Foster admits he was "very surprised" the NFL invited him to the pro scouting combine in Indianapolis.

"I really didn't have that many opportunities throughout my college career," Foster explained with three or four reporters listening a few feet from the army at Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen's podium.

The production never really came for the speedy receiver. After redshirting in 2013, Foster caught 35 passes for 379 yards the next four seasons. Of that, 14 catches and 174 yards came as a senior.

Still, Foster didn't make excuses or blame others for how things went in Tuscaloosa.

He also said he doesn't regret picking the Crimson Tide over the hometown Pitt Panthers.

"Because at the end of the day, Coach (Nick) Saban never lied to me," Foster said. "He promised me I was going to get a degree. He promised me I was going to get a national championship and he promised me I was going to get to play for a national championship. Everything that happened throughout my career, I enjoyed it and embraced it because it was all a blessing because now I have the benefit of what I can do for my kids."

Foster played for three national titles and won two. He said January's championship game was his favorite of his playing career. It included three catches for 28 yards including a 15-yarder in the Tide's first touchdown drive in the third quarter.

Foster also graduated with a degree in health communications.

"At some point, you're not going to be able to play football forever," Foster said. "So, I made a smart decision ... I also have my degree so that's going to benefit me in the long run."

For now, the focus is on football.

Though he was surprised by the combine invite, Foster said he wasn't giving up on the NFL before it came. The deep-threat ability and leadership skills will be his top selling points in Indianapolis, Foster said.

There will still be questions about his lack of production at Alabama.

"It may not seem like it but Saban misses too sometimes," on AFC director of scouting said on Foster's official NFL profile. "He just misses on five-star guys and replaces them with five-star guys. Foster is going to run fast and workout well so he could still get drafted."

Foster on Saturday morning ran the second fastest 40 in the early group with a 4.41.


Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com
Why former 5-star Robert Foster wasn't disappointed in Alabama career

 

[Tidestalker]

That's a pretty cool article. Talk about a mature attitude towards his career... No sour grapes at all. Refreshing!

 

[TUSKtimes]

I'm not there but Robert comes across as being really laid back with his ambitions. Sometimes it's what's not ticking inside that is the problem. Some guys are just more competitive than others and in practice that is going to show up quick. Even his last statement about his playing career, just smacks of getting out of it what he wanted.

Some people think that's good enough. Others think if I had that kind of talent I would be dominating. My guess is that guys like Foster take years off the coaching staff because they don't get the best out of them and not the other way around. Maybe it will change in the NFL?

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

I'm not there but Robert comes across as being really laid back with his ambitions. Sometimes it's what's not ticking inside that is the problem. Some guys are just more competitive than others and in practice that is going to show up quick. Even his last statement about his playing career, just smacks of getting out of it what he wanted.

Some people think that's good enough. Others think if I had that kind of talent I would be dominating. My guess is that guys like Foster take years off the coaching staff because they don't get the best out of them and not the other way around. Maybe it will change in the NFL?

Orrrr...

Maybe after his RS year he was just caught in a logjam of other talent and just never got the opportunity? In either case, kudos to him for sticking it out when he could've easily transferred and been the starting X receiver at a lot of schools.

Maybe he's just a glass-half-full kinda guy that may drop some jaws in the league. Maybe he is disappointed, but his degree is in communications. So I think he understands diplomatic media responses that don't make him look like a pissed off axe-grinder.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Orrrr...

Maybe after his RS year he was just caught in a logjam of other talent and just never got the opportunity? In either case, kudos to him for sticking it out when he could've easily transferred and been the starting X receiver at a lot of schools.

Maybe he's just a glass-half-full kinda guy that may drop some jaws in the league. Maybe he is disappointed, but his degree is in communications. So I think he understands diplomatic media responses that don't make him look like a pissed off axe-grinder.

Maybe. If he gets to the next level and plays like his talent level suggest it would be a lot easier to argue the point. I'm even open to Tony Brown stepping it up at the next level. Both are physical specimens.

 

[bamachine]

He has been pretty unlucky on the injury front. By the time he got healthy again, Ridley has taken over as King Dong. Then just as we thought he might become the easy option number two, he got injured again. Grats to him on obtaining his degree and for having a positive outlook on whatever may come.

 

[TerryP]

He has been pretty unlucky on the injury front. By the time he got healthy again, Ridley has taken over as King Dong. Then just as we thought he might become the easy option number two, he got injured again. Grats to him on obtaining his degree and for having a positive outlook on whatever may come.

That down time should have given him plenty of opportunity to learn a 10 yard route means run 10 yards. His attention to detail was lacking...and that's putting it mildly.

 

[footballer]

That down time should have given him plenty of opportunity to learn a 10 yard route means run 10 yards. His attention to detail was lacking...and that's putting it mildly.

Hey Terry. I think I remember hearing that RF had some kind of learning or reading disability coming out of high school.Maybe dyslexia or a comprehension difficulty of some kind. I may be mistaken and thinking of somebody else.

 

[Bama Guy]

Wish him the best. He seemed to lack football IQ or situational awareness or whatever you want to call it. Still, glad he rolled with the Tide!

 

[TerryP]

Hey Terry. I think I remember hearing that RF had some kind of learning or reading disability coming out of high school.Maybe dyslexia or a comprehension difficulty of some kind. I may be mistaken and thinking of somebody else.

I don't recall that. Kiff hated his route running. We've seen why. The NC game could have been "lightening in a bottle," or one of those days he's suited up.

His career at Bama sums up like this in my view. Fans overestimated his ability relying on what potential was there. If he shows out in the NFL it tells me he's skated through his time here--with extenuating circumstances.

 

[UAgrad93]

I don't recall that. Kiff hated his route running. We've seen why. The NC game could have been "lightening in a bottle," or one of those days he's suited up.

His career at Bama sums up like this in my view. Fans overestimated his ability relying on what potential was there. If he shows out in the NFL it tells me he's skated through his time here--with extenuating circumstances.

I knew there was something that caused Kiff and RF to not get along, but didn't know it was his route running. Thought it was more of a personality clash. As fans, we see those rankings and assume he should be the next Julio or Amari and forget he is still a kid that has some maturity issues at times.

 

[BamaFan334]

I don't recall that. Kiff hated his route running. We've seen why. The NC game could have been "lightening in a bottle," or one of those days he's suited up.

His career at Bama sums up like this in my view. Fans overestimated his ability relying on what potential was there. If he shows out in the NFL it tells me he's skated through his time here--with extenuating circumstances.

Sometimes it just doesn't click till later for some folks. That's in all facets of life, not just football. I was always one to figure things out a hair later than others, till I had kids. Then it got real for me and ever since I've been ahead of the curve because it's forward thinking at this point.

I didn't truly start putting scouting reports and film together for football until about halfway through my senior year. Once it clicked for me I was an absolute terror at strong safety and receiver, but hell, that was 3.5 years too late. I regret it every single day of my life that I just didn't get it sooner, but it also could have been a block in my brain. I only say this because if Foster does well in the NFL, it doesn't necessarily mean he skated by at Alabama. He stuck with the program through how many offensive coordinators, made it through four years of the 4th quarter program, made it through lack of production and playing time, multiple quarterbacks, better incoming players, and all of that mentally has to kick your ass, and physically. Being from Pennsylvania, he was a long ways from home and stuck it out. He may have been a middle of the pack player on a team full of badasses, but that doesn't mean he skated by.

 

[TerryP]

His attention to detail was lacking

. Kiff hated his route running.

I knew there was something that caused Kiff and RF to not get along, but didn't know it was his route running.

Route running was just one of those details he didn't give a lot of attention. These habits leaked over to other areas as well in the WR scheme.

Yes, there was a personality conflict between the two and a lot of that had to do with RF not following what Kiffin wanted. What @bamachine mentions comes into play as well. A lot were talking about how Foster was the "leading receiver" in pre-season and if you recall I tried to call time-out on that a few times. Looking back we can see how Ridley and Stewart were following the WR process while Foster wasn't--with part of that being the luck he had on the injury front undoubtedly having an effect on his prep.

Even though the circumstances with each are so different I suspect we'll see Foster remembered by a lot the same way we see DJ Hall remembered--a lot simply dismissed under the guise of "oh well, look at what DJ did against Tennessee."

 

[bamachine]

^I will always remember Hall as a POS. I hate the Vols and enjoyed him lighting them up but then he took that performance way too seriously and demanded he be treated different than everyone else by Saban. He ruined the rest of that season with his little mutiny, that he got a few to follow along with, dividing the locker room.

Foster may have not put in the work or been unable to process the work but he was never a locker room cancer, to my knowledge, so will likely never see him in that bad of a light. Just as a waste of raw talent.

 

[TerryP]

^I will always remember Hall as a POS. I hate the Vols and enjoyed him lighting them up but then he took that performance way too seriously and demanded he be treated different than everyone else by Saban. He ruined the rest of that season with his little mutiny, that he got a few to follow along with, dividing the locker room.

Here's one thing I don't know. Did Hall have that type of attitude when he arrived at Bama? Or, was it an attitude he developed at Bama due to the way he was "handled/coached" before Saban's arrival? I know I was pissed off at the way Shula handled him (still am) but with teenagers and young adults...some will take every bit of rope you give them and still want more.

Foster may have not put in the work or been unable to process the work but he was never a locker room cancer, to my knowledge, so will likely never see him in that bad of a light. Just as a waste of raw talent.

Same here. My only "contention" with Foster was in pre-season conversations about what he would do. I can't say I fault him for not seeing eye-to-eye with Kiffin. He's not the only person that has been around him and had the same issue.

 

[BamaFan334]

^I will always remember Hall as a POS. I hate the Vols and enjoyed him lighting them up but then he took that performance way too seriously and demanded he be treated different than everyone else by Saban. He ruined the rest of that season with his little mutiny, that he got a few to follow along with, dividing the locker room.

Foster may have not put in the work or been unable to process the work but he was never a locker room cancer, to my knowledge, so will likely never see him in that bad of a light. Just as a waste of raw talent.

Mind sharing the story you're speaking of? This was before my time on campus and as a fan, so I'm not privy to his shenanigans. Thanks in advance.

 

[bamachine]

^From all indications, he had that game against Tennessee and then went to Saban and demanded special treatment. Of course Saban shut that down. Hall then started a little mini mutiny, with a few of the other slackers. It divided the locker room, leading to the collapse of that season. All of those players that took part in the mutiny got processed. The word leaked out to NFL scouts and Hall, despite his physical talents went completely undrafted.

 

[TerryP]

^From all indications, he had that game against Tennessee and then went to Saban and demanded special treatment. Of course Saban shut that down. Hall then started a little mini mutiny, with a few of the other slackers. It divided the locker room, leading the the collapse of that season. All of those players that took part in the mutiny got processed. The word leaked out to NFL scouts and Hall, despite his physical talents went completely undrafted.

Yes sir.

That could have been a 10 win season because I firmly believe Bama could have won three of those last four they lost with LSU being the big question mark. I know they were better than Mississippi State and La Monroe and I wasn't too terribly impressed with Auburn in '07 especially given the way the UGA game went down the week prior.

Damn...you've gone and reminded me of Erik Ainge. No love lost there.

 

[UAgrad93]

^From all indications, he had that game against Tennessee and then went to Saban and demanded special treatment. Of course Saban shut that down. Hall then started a little mini mutiny, with a few of the other slackers. It divided the locker room, leading to the collapse of that season. All of those players that took part in the mutiny got processed. The word leaked out to NFL scouts and Hall, despite his physical talents went completely undrafted.

That '07 season showed A LOT of promise and that UT game after the announcement of the suspensions SOLD ME ON CNS!!! That team played like their hair was on fire and Fat Phil and Company never stood a chance. I always felt after that game, CNS tolerated Hall and was more than happy to get his ass out the door after that season. I believe that if he had booted him from the team, he may not have got his point across as to the repercussions of one's actions and how detrimental those actions can be to the team. That, in my mind, sold the returners and laid the foundation to what we have now.