Jayson Foster facts for kids
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| No. 80 | |
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| Position: | Wide receiver |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | July 22, 1985 Canton, Georgia, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Weight: | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: | Georgia Southern |
| Undrafted: | 2008 |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Jayson D. Foster is a former American football player. He played as a wide receiver in different professional leagues. These included the NFL, UFL, and CFL. He was born on July 22, 1985.
Jayson played college football at Georgia Southern. He won the famous Walter Payton Award in 2007. This award goes to the best offensive player in NCAA Division I FCS. He also played for several pro teams. These included the Miami Dolphins and Denver Broncos.
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Early Life and High School Football
Jayson Foster grew up in Canton, Georgia. He played football at Cherokee High School. He was a key player for three years. As a senior, he ran for 1,700 yards. He also passed for 700 yards. He scored 25 touchdowns that year.
He was named the 'Offensive Player of the Year' for Cherokee County. He also made the all-county, all-region, and all-state teams. In 2001, he was an all-county quarterback. He ran for 1,200 yards and scored eight touchdowns.
As a sophomore, he played wide receiver. He caught 42 passes for 884 yards. He scored 11 touchdowns. Jayson was also a great student. He kept a 3.73 grade point average in high school.
College Football Career
Jayson Foster played college football at Georgia Southern University. He was a very talented player. He showed his skills in many ways.
Freshman Year Success
In his first year, Jayson was named 'Freshman of the Year'. This award came from the Southern Conference coaches. He played in all 12 games. He started three times as a wide receiver. He was the only player at Georgia Southern to score touchdowns in five different ways. He scored by rushing, passing, receiving, punt returns, and kickoff returns.
Sophomore Year as Quarterback
During his second year, Jayson became the starting quarterback. He set a conference record. He rushed for a touchdown in all 12 games. No other player in I-AA had done this. He ran for 1,481 yards. This was one of the most rushing yards ever by a quarterback in NCAA I-FCS history.
He helped his team lead the nation in rushing offense. They also ranked high in scoring and total offense. Jayson himself was among the top players nationally. He ranked 10th in rushing yards per game.
Junior Year Position Change
In his junior year, his coach changed his position. Jayson moved from quarterback to wide receiver. Even with this change, he was still excellent. He was named First-team All-SoCon as a wide receiver. He also earned honors as a return specialist.
He became the only player in school history to have an 80-yard play in four different ways. These were an 80-yard rush, reception, punt return, and kickoff return.
Senior Year and Walter Payton Award
For his senior year, Jayson went back to playing quarterback. He led his team to a 7–4 record. He won the 2007 Walter Payton Award. This award is like the Heisman Trophy for players in the FCS division. He was also named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Jayson set a school record with 3,047 total yards of offense. He broke the record held by Tracy Ham, a College Football Hall of Famer. He also ranked second nationally in rushing yards per game. Jayson graduated in December 2007. He earned a degree in Logistics and Intermodal Transportation.
Professional Football Journey
After college, Jayson Foster hoped to play in the NFL. He was not chosen in the 2008 NFL draft. However, the Miami Dolphins signed him as an undrafted free agent. He spent a short time with their practice squad.
Jayson then had several short stints with other NFL teams. He was with the Pittsburgh Steelers twice. He also played for the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens. These were mostly on practice squads.
Later in his career, Jayson played in other professional leagues. He joined the Sacramento Mountain Lions in the UFL in 2011. In 2012, he played for the Montreal Alouettes in the CFL.
