Former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive guard, Ramon Foster thought he had a good chance to get drafted in 2009. After a collegiate career with the Tennessee Volunteers, where he earned All-SEC honors as a freshman and a junior, it was probably fair to expect. Then he went undrafted and eventually became a member of the Steelers. He spent the next 11 years with the team before retiring. Foster recently reflected on being told by the team that they had a third-round grade on him and why they said he fell.
Getty Images
Former Pittsburgh Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey (53) and guard Ramon Foster (73) on the sideline during a game.
Foster recently joined The Two Percent Podcast to reflect on his collegiate and NFL careers. During the interview, he recalled that when he showed up to Pittsburgh, one of the team's main scouts said they had a third-round grade on him.
"The assistant offensive line coach told me, 'You can make this team.' Why is everyone telling me this now? When I retired, the scout sent me my draft sheet. At the bottom of it: third round."
Foster said the thing that held him back was his 40-yard dash time from the NFL Combine. He continued that the team selected a similar player to him in the draft that year who had a better time than he did. The team took Kraig Urbik out of Wisconsin in the third round. According to Pro Football Reference, he ran a 5.25 versus Foster, who ran a 5.57.
The Two Percent Podcast
Former Steelers offensive lineman Ramon Foster on the set of The Two Percent Podcast.
Urbik and Foster both made the team in 2009, but the undrafted Foster made a bigger impact. Urbik did not get a single snap and was waived before the start of the 2010 season. Foster began the 2009 season as a primary backup and played in 14 games, starting four.
Urbik did end up carving out a nice career for himself. He played seven seasons in the league, split between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, it seems a bit like a wasted third-round pick, as he never played a regular season snap for the club, but at least they hit a home run on the undrafted Foster.
Foster became a key piece of a formidable offensive line group that paved the way for Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh offense to thrive in the 2010s. Foster may not be a household name, but he had an incredibly effective career. He played in 160 career games and was only penalized 25 times.
Foster discussed his love-hate relationship with the draft in an article for DK Pittsburgh Sports in 2021. He mentioned that although he wouldn't have minded receiving the money that top 10 draft picks get, he wouldn't change his journey.
Steelers' Foster Remembers An Awful Combine Experience
The NFL Scouting Combine is always an exciting time for fans and front offices of NFL teams. It's a major opportunity to get to know the next crop of college players vying to make the next level. It can be a stressful experience for the players as they essentially interview for their dream jobs. For Foster, it was an incredibly stressful time.
Nate Guidry / Pittsburgh-Post-Gazette
Steelers guard Ramon Foster stretches during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.
Foster was training for the combine in Cincinnati because that's where his agent was based. However, he had some serious matters to attend to back home in Tennessee. Unfortunately, he missed his infant son's open-heart surgery while he was stuck in Ohio due to a snowstorm in January.
"I'll be the first to tell you I tested bad," Foster explained. "Right before I was about to run my 40 [yard dash], I catch a nosebleed and I'm live. I'm telling the dude who is also a Steeler guy, I got a nosebleed. 'Well, you're next up and you need to fix that.' So I did that. Didn't bench well. Didn't do anything well."
Fortunately for Foster, Pittsburgh still decided to give him a chance. He repaid the team for their faith in him by working hard and establishing himself as a long-term starter.
What did you think of Foster's story? Comment below!
#SteelerNation
