Arian Foster facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arian Foster

Foster with the Houston Texans in 2014
No. 27, 23, 29
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1986-08-24) August 24, 1986 (age 38) Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	227 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:	Valley (Albuquerque, New Mexico) Mission Bay (San Diego, California)
College:	Tennessee (2004–2008)
Undrafted:	2009
Career history
Houston Texans (2009–2015) Miami Dolphins (2016)
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-Pro (2010) Second-team All-Pro (2011) 4× Pro Bowl (2010–2012, 2014) 2× NFL rushing touchdowns leader (2010, 2012) NFL rushing yards leader (2010) Second-team All-SEC (2007)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing attempts: 1,476 Rushing yards: 6,527 Rushing touchdowns: 54 Receptions: 255 Receiving yards: 2,346 Receiving touchdowns: 14
Player stats at PFR

Arian Isa Foster (born August 24, 1986) is a former football player. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL). After his football career, he became a musical artist known as Bobby Feeno.

Foster played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers football team. In 2009, the Houston Texans signed him as an undrafted free agent. He holds the Texans' team records for rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. Foster also played for the Miami Dolphins before retiring from the NFL in 2016.

Early Life and High School Football

Arian Foster was born on August 24, 1986, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. His father, Carl Foster, was a former wide receiver for the University of New Mexico. Arian's mother, Bernadette Sizemore, encouraged him to play football when he was seven. Even at a young age, Arian told his teacher he wanted to be an NFL star.

In 2002, Arian moved to San Diego with his father. He played high school football at Mission Bay Senior High School. He started as a linebacker but became a full-time running back in his junior and senior years. During his senior year, he led San Diego County in all-purpose yards with 2,500. He also rushed for 2,093 yards and scored 24 touchdowns. In one game, he ran for 321 yards! His amazing performance earned him several awards.

Foster also competed in track & field, running sprints and doing the high jump. He decided to attend the University of Tennessee for college.

High School Stats

College Football Career

Arian Foster started his college career at Tennessee in 2004. He was a "redshirt" his first year, meaning he practiced but didn't play in games. He became a starter at running back for three years.

Freshman Season (2005)

In 2005, Foster quickly became an important player. He made his college debut in September. In October, he scored his first college touchdown. When another player got injured, Foster got more chances to run the ball. He had several games with over 100 rushing yards. In one game against Vanderbilt, he carried the ball 40 times and gained 268 all-purpose yards. This was one of the highest totals in school history. He finished the season as the team's top rusher with 879 yards and five touchdowns.

Sophomore Season (2006)

Foster's 2006 season had less production. He started strong with a touchdown against California. However, an ankle injury caused him to miss two games. He returned to score three touchdowns against Georgia. He ended the season with 322 rushing yards and five touchdowns. In the 2007 Outback Bowl, he fumbled the ball, which led to a touchdown for the other team.

Junior Season (2007)

Arian Foster dives over the pile to score against Louisiana–Lafayette at Neyland Stadium

In 2007, Foster became the main running back for Tennessee. He had a receiving touchdown in the first game. In the second game, he rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns. He scored three touchdowns against Georgia. He also had a game with 139 rushing yards. Foster had a streak of seven games in a row with a rushing touchdown. He gained over 1,000 rushing yards this season. He finished with 1,193 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 39 passes for 340 yards and two more touchdowns. He was one of the top rushers in the SEC conference.

Senior Season (2008)

After his great junior year, Foster thought about leaving college early for the NFL. But his coach convinced him to stay. In his senior year, Foster's playing time was reduced. He only had one game with over 100 rushing yards. He finished the season with 570 rushing yards and one touchdown.

Foster ended his college career as the second all-time leading rusher for Tennessee with 2,964 yards. He also had 742 receiving yards, which was second in school history for a running back.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Arian Foster was not chosen in the 2009 NFL draft. This was partly because of injuries and some concerns from scouts. However, he signed with the Houston Texans in May 2009.

Houston Texans (2009–2015)

2009 Season

Foster joined the Texans' practice squad in September 2009. He later moved to the main team. He made his NFL debut in November. In December, he scored his first NFL touchdown against the Miami Dolphins. He made his first start in January 2010, rushing for 119 yards and two touchdowns. In his first season, he played six games, gaining 257 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

2010 Season: A Breakout Year

A Dallas Cowboys defender pushes Foster down in a 2010 game.

In 2010, Foster became the Texans' starting running back. In the first game, he rushed for an amazing 231 yards and three touchdowns against the Indianapolis Colts. This broke many Texans' records. It was also the second-highest rushing total ever on an NFL opening day. He had several more games with over 100 rushing yards. In Week 4, he had a 74-yard touchdown run, the longest in Texans history at the time.

Foster finished the 2010 season as the NFL's leading rusher with 1,616 yards. He also had 604 receiving yards. He was invited to his first Pro Bowl. His fellow players ranked him among the top 25 players in the NFL.

2011 Season

Foster had hamstring injuries before the 2011 season, causing him to miss games. He returned in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He rushed for 155 yards and scored a winning touchdown. He also showed his skill as a pass-catcher, with a career-long 60-yard reception against the Oakland Raiders. In Week 7, he had a huge game against the Tennessee Titans, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns, plus 119 receiving yards and another touchdown. He finished the season with 1,224 rushing yards and ten touchdowns.

The Texans made the playoffs for the first time. In the Wild Card Round, Foster rushed for 153 yards and two touchdowns in a win. He was invited to the 2012 Pro Bowl.

2012 Season

In March 2012, Foster signed a big contract with the Texans. He continued his strong play, starting the season with two rushing touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins. In Week 5, he reached 5,000 yards from scrimmage in just 40 games. This made him one of the fastest players to reach that milestone. He had multiple games with two rushing touchdowns. He finished the season with a league-high 351 carries for 1,424 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns.

The Texans won their division again. In the playoffs, Foster rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown in a win against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was ranked 8th among all NFL players by his peers.

2013 Season

Foster dealt with a back injury in 2013. He played in the first eight games, gaining 542 rushing yards. He had to leave a game in Week 9 due to a season-ending back injury. He had surgery for a ruptured disk in his back. Foster worked hard to recover and be healthy for the next season.

2014 Season

Foster had a great comeback season in 2014. In the first game, he rushed for 103 yards. He had several more games with over 100 rushing yards and multiple touchdowns. He rushed for 1,246 yards and eight touchdowns. He also caught 38 passes for 327 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. This was his fourth season with over 1,000 rushing yards. He was voted to his fourth Pro Bowl. He was ranked 80th by his fellow players in the NFL.

2015 Season

Foster started the 2015 season injured. He played in Week 4 but then ruptured his Achilles tendon in Week 7. This injury ended his season. He played in only four games, with 163 rushing yards and one touchdown. He was released by the Texans in March 2016. He left the Texans holding franchise records for career rushing yards (6,472) and rushing touchdowns (54).

Miami Dolphins (2016)

In July 2016, Foster signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins. He played in four games, rushing for 55 yards, before another injury.

Retirement from Football

On October 24, 2016, Arian Foster announced his retirement from the NFL.

NFL Career Statistics

NFL Records and Texans Franchise Records

Arian Foster holds several impressive records:

• Most rushing yards against the Indianapolis Colts in one game (231 yards).
• Most rushing yards in his first three playoff games (425 yards).
• First NFL player to have 100+ rushing yards in his first three postseason games.

He also holds many Houston Texans team records:

• Most career rushing yards (6,472).
• Most career rushing touchdowns (54).
• Most rushing yards in a single season (1,616 in 2010).
• Most rushing touchdowns in a single season (16 in 2010).

Film and Television Appearances

Arian Foster has always been interested in creative activities like poetry and acting. He appeared on the TV show Hawaii Five-0 as himself.

After an injury in 2013, Foster acted in the movie Draft Day. He played a running back getting drafted into the NFL. He has said he would act again if it doesn't interfere with his main career.

In 2015, Foster was a narrator for the documentary film Unity. He has also appeared on podcasts like the Joe Rogan Experience and Painkiller Already. In 2017, he started his own podcast called Now What? with Arian Foster. He also had a small role in the movie Baywatch.

In 2018, Foster was a contestant on the MTV show The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars. He competed to raise money for his charity, the Arian Foster Foundation. In 2021, he launched another podcast called Macrodosing.

Music Career as Bobby Feeno

On April 26, 2018, Arian Foster released his first rap album. He uses the stage name Bobby Feeno. The album is called Flamingo & Koval. It was recorded under LeBron James’s record label, Uninterrupted. A docuseries called Becoming Bobby Feeno showed his journey into the music world.

Personal Life

Arian Foster studied philosophy at the University of Tennessee. He enjoys writing poetry. His first name, Arian, means "water bearer" or "holder of knowledge."

Sporting News once called Foster "the most interesting man in the NFL." He became a vegan for a short time in 2012. Foster has shared that he identifies as an atheist.