Rutgers NFL draft bio: Eric Foster

By Darrell Laurant  |   Sunday, February 03, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Rutgers Scarlet Knights
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Guys like Eric Foster pop up every spring, grist for the NFL draft's annual ritual.

They've had great college careers, but they're a) too small; b) too slow; c) the wrong position to star at the next level. Yet somebody drafts them anyway, and before long everyone has forgotten all about those supposed deficiencies.

Sure, Eric Foster only grew to be 6-foot-1 and 270 pounds. Those dimensions would definitely make you the biggest guy in most gatherings, but it's undersized for an NFL defensive tackle. But the number crunchers haven't come up with a figure to measure heart.

Fortunately for Foster, there are plenty of pro defensive ends who came along as mini-tackles, and the Rutgers senior should fit right in. One major scouting service ranks him among the best DE prospects for a 3-4 defense because of his versatility. Foster even got an interception this past season.

At Homestead High School near Miami, Foster was a middle linebacker. He ate himself onto the defensive line in college, but that doesn't mean there isn't still a linebacker lurking inside the added bulk.

In 2006, he was the raging heart of Rutgers' improbable 2006 season, always in the glare of the spotlight, rallying his teammates whether he was on the field or the sidelines. As the scouts love to put it, his motor never stopped running, and that on-screen visibility -- plus impressive stats -- helped make him a first-team All-American.

The Scarlet Knights slipped a bit in 2007, but Foster still produced 62 tackles (21 solo), 13 tackles for loss, five sacks and two forced fumbles.

As soon as his team dispatched Ball State in the International Bowl (not exactly where Rutgers hoped to be after 2006), Foster signed on with a sports training outfit and started working out even harder. He knows that his 40 time of 4.89 -- while decent for a tackle -- needs to come down for him to get serious consideration as an outside rusher.

His motor is still running. Don't look for it to stop in the near future.
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