One of the more successful – and controversial – Vols in the NFL is calling it a career.
Miami Dolphins running back Arian Foster, who played at Tennessee from 2004-08 and is the school’s second all-time leading rusher, announced his retirement on Monday night via a statement on Uninterrupted.
BREAKING NEWS: @ArianFoster announces his retirement on UNINTERRUPTED. His story on why he’s walking away. pic.twitter.com/FK09XpkqUo
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) October 25, 2016
Foster carved out an impressive NFL career after going undrafted in 2009.
He signed a free-agent deal with the Houston Texans, where he went on to pile up 6,472 career rushing yards, 54 touchdowns and over 2,000 receiving yards through the 2015 season. Injuries slowed the career of the now 30-year old back. After being released by the Texans following another injury-riddled campaign, he signed with the Miami Dolphins this offseason, but was never effective. He recorded just 55 rushing yards in his four game appearances before calling it quits following a 28-25 win over Buffalo where he had just three carries.
In total, Foster ends his career with four Pro Bowl appearances, one First-Team All-Pro selection (2010) and as the Texans’ all-time leading rusher.
Foster has been a lightning rod for criticism among Tennessee fans since his days in Knoxville. Despite his substantial production, he had a propensity to fumble in big moments. Some of his comments in the NFL have rubbed fans the wrong way as well.
He admitted in a 2013 documentary that he received money on the side while playing at UT, and had this now-infamous story about coaches bringing UT players tacos in college:
“I called my coach and I said, ‘Coach, we don’t have no food. We don’t have no money. We’re hungry. Either you give us some food, or I’m gonna go do something stupid.’ He came down and he brought like 50 tacos for like four or five of us. Which is an NCAA violation. [laughs] But then, I walk up to the facility and I see my coach pull up in a brand new Lexus.”
He’ll go down as one of the more successful Vols in the NFL in recent history, but Foster will always bring mixed reaction from the UT fanbase.
