Former Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster will be making a return to the football field for the first time since 2018.
It was reported by Ian Rapoport that Foster plans to sign with the Pittsburgh Maulers.
Comeback: Former first-round LB Reuben Foster, attempting to return to the NFL field after a serious knee injury, will sign with the USFL's Pittsburgh Maulers, source said. His opportunity this Spring to show NFL teams he's ready to play.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2023
The last time Foster was a part of a professional team was in 2019 when he played for the Washington Redskins. However, Foster would not see any game action as he suffered a torn ACL prior to the regular season and would later be a part of the team’s practice squad.
Foster’s NFL journey began with the San Francisco 49ers back in 2017 where he was a first-round pick. Leading up to the draft Foster was considered to be one of the top players but after providing a diluted sample on a drug test at the NFL combine along with a confrontation with a hospital employee, Foster sank on the draft boards.
In his first season, Foster was arrested twice and would be suspended by the NFL for the beginning of the 2018 season following a violation of the league’s substance abuse policies. After another arrest in 2018, the 49ers waived Foster and he eventually landed in Washington.
Despite his NFL struggles, Foster is one of the best linebackers of the Nick Saban era at Alabama as he commanded some of the program’s most dominant defenses. He was a part of the team’s 2015 national championship team while winning the Butkus Award and becoming a unanimous All-American in 2016.
The USFL is scheduled to begin its second season this April and Foster will eye another chance at a career in football.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
