Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster was sent home from the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine on Friday for getting into an argument with a hospital worker. On Saturday, Foster addressed the incident.
Unfortunately, he didn’t reveal much. According to Foster, who was regarded as a top-10 pick before the incident, “Nothing happened.” He made his comments on a live Instagram video, which was unavailable on his Instagram page later on Saturday.
“Y’all, stop asking me what happened, for real,” Foster said, according to AL.com. “Nothing happened.”
Foster told the viewers to talk to the other prospects who were with him at the combine.
“Talk to Tim (Williams),” Foster said. “Talk to Ryan (Anderson). Talk to Dalvin (Tomlinson). Them boys know. They were there.”
So, that’s what NFL.com’s Chase Goodbread did. But two of the players Foster listed above refuted his claim that they witnessed what happened.
Reuben Foster's IG video says to ask Tim Williams and Dalvin Tomlinson about the hospital incident. I did. Both said they didn't witness.
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) March 4, 2017
According to Goodbread, Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson witnessed the incident and said it was “blown out of proportion.”
The reports about Foster’s incident began emerging Friday night, when ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Foster was “sent home” from the combine for getting into a “heated argument with a hospital worker.” Yahoo’s Charles Robinson added that Foster “felt mistreated” and that the altercation did not get physical.
On Saturday, The Monday Morning Quarterback’s Robert Klemko reported that Foster tried to use the “Do you know who I am?” card when he was stuck in a long line, which is when the argument arose.
That's when the "face to face, heated exchange" happened, as Schefter reported.
— Robert Klemko (@RobertKlemko) March 4, 2017
According to Foster, he’s “staying low” and his agent “backs” him. He vowed to stay positive and take advantage when he gets his chance.
In addition to Friday’s incident, Foster is also dealing with a rotator cuff injury, which would’ve forced him to miss the on-field workout portions of the combine anyway. The next important date for Foster is Alabama’s pro day on Wednesday, March 8, when he will get a chance to meet with teams. They’ll likely demand a better answer than “nothing happened.”
“Everything ain’t perfect,” Foster said. “I’m good. I just have to think. I just had to sit back and relax and think about what I really want.”
