One of the NFL Draft’s most celebrated linebacker prospects, Reuben Foster, was sent home on Friday after getting into a “heated altercation” with a hospital worker in Indianapolis.
The NFL Combine experienced some drama on Friday when it was confirmed that Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster was sent home from Indianapolis after getting into what Adam Schefter called a “heated altercation” with a hospital worker.
Schefter says Foster seemingly grew impatient waiting for a medical exam, a common procedure at the Combine for teams to check out players with in-oerson interviews and such exams, and words were exchanged with a hospital worker, only to escalate from there.
Foster grew impatient with long line for exams... pulled the 'do you know who I am?' card.
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) March 4, 2017
A male hospital employee, unimpressed, told him he would wait like everyone else.
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) March 4, 2017
Foster warned the man that he'd put hands on him, and the employee said, simply, Do it.
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) March 4, 2017
That's when the "face to face, heated exchange" happened, as Schefter reported.
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) March 4, 2017
Foster had 111 total tackles last season for the Crimson Tide, 13 of them for a loss, and 5 sacks. He also had 2 passes defended. He’s largely considered one of the best overall linebackers available in this year’s draft, and Schefter has him likely pegged as a top 10 pick.
If Foster calls in the draft, it will be interesting to see just how far given that many teams will want to avoid a head case. The full NFL investigation and witness testimony of how the fight got started will be important to see just how much blame should be applied here.
Foster was recently projected by the Kansas City Chiefs at the bottom of the first round in Bucky Brooks’ most recent mock draft.