| UCLA RB DeShaun Foster was rated as the top collegiate running back early
in the season after he carried 31 times for 301 yards against then-unbeaten Washington.
His stock fell, however, as he began to fumble. Then he was suspended for the final three
games for violating the NCAA’s code against extra benefits. Foster discussed the NCAA
violation, his propensity for fumbling and how it felt to fall one yard shy of breaking
UCLA’s all-time rushing record at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Q:
At what point did you feel like you developed a habit of fumbling?
A: I have no idea. I don’t know. Things just started happening. Maybe it was more
mental. It was just a situation where I was dropping the ball I guess.
Q: Do you see yourself as a similar runner to any NFL running back?
A: I don’t know. I just try to have my own style – just get out there and try
to make plays. I like to watch (Colts RB) Edgerrin (James) and (Rams RB) Marshall Faulk
and all the big backs out there.
Q: What are some of the things you are looking to improve in your game leading up to
the draft?
A: Just basically hold onto the ball. That’s just one of the issues I think I
really need to work on and after that, I think I need to fine-tune the rest of my game and
go from there.
Q: How do you work on that? What do you do?
A: Basically, I hold the ball loose. I just need to hold it high and tight, cover all
the pressure points, and I’ll be all right.
Q: How is your ankle feeling?
A: It’s okay. That was a sophomore injury.
Q: Your senior year in high school, you had 59 touchdowns. How does a guy do that?
A: It was just, the coaches gave me the ball. The year before, we had three backs over
1,000 yards, and they all graduated. So it was just me back there, so I knew I was going
to have a big year because I was the only back.
Q: What was the most touchdowns you had in one game in high school?
A: I think six, in the championship.
Q: Did you ever get that feeling at UCLA like in your senior year of high school?
A: A couple of games I had that feeling. The Washington game I had it, Oregon State. It
was just, whenever the O-line is doing good, I’m in the secondary, and I know I can
make a couple of people miss. So, the Washington game, I was just making them miss and
going from there.
Q: Going into that Washington game, they hadn’t given up a rushing touchdown
all year. What was your challenge going into that game?
A: It was just a personal challenge really. I was just seeing it in all the papers and
stuff like that and I was the last person to score a rushing touchdown on them. So I just
wanted to get in there and go from there. It was a good defense we were playing against
and I knew if the O-line could get it done, I could get it done too.
Q: If you could give the NFL scouts one game of film to watch, what would it be, the
Washington game?
A: No, probably Oregon State. I think I showed everything I could do. I ran through a
couple of people. I ran around people. And just picking up blocks and things like that, I
didn’t have any problems, so I think it was probably my best game.
Q: How would you describe your running style?
A: It depends on the situation really. If I have to run for one yard, I can be a power
back. Or if it’s 1st-and-10, I’m trying to take it to the house. I
can do that too. I think I’m a situational runner.
Q: Do you buy where people are projecting you and do you think you are a classic
case of people not seeing your talents for what they are?
A: I’ll never say it’s a classic case of people not seeing my talents, but
that’s what the combine is for. I can just show them what I need to do, really.
I’m not worried about all that draft stuff.
Q: You had a good week of practice at the Senior Bowl. Leading up to that game, did
you wish you had more carries?
A: I knew it was kind of going to be like that. It’s an all-star game. We had four
backs and a lot of good quarterbacks, too. So just four carries was good, just as long as
I was getting yards on those carries was good enough for me.
Q: Has any team shown more interest than any others?
A: They’re all the same really.
Q: Have you talked to Carolina?
A: Yeah, I talked to them.
Q: What do you think of them?
A: I’m from Charlotte, so (laugh) it’s a good fit
Q: Have you talked to the Browns?
A: Yes.
Q: Falcons?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you feel at all, like some people have said, that the NCAA’s hypocrisy is
responsible for you having to sit out the last three games of the season?
A: I was responsible for my situation. It was a mistake I made and that was it, really.
There are rules. They said I broke it, I broke it, so I could’ve avoided that part,
doing otherwise, but I didn’t.
Q: Do people want to know that, do they want to hear that in this process?
A: Yeah, I think so. And I am man enough to let them know I made a mistake too. I just
let them know about the situation and how it went down.
Q: Does it bother you that you finished your career one yard shy of breaking the
school’s all-time rushing record and you had to sit out several games?
A: Just a little bit. I went up to the school and asked them to check all the games as
backup, (laughs) to see if I got that yard. But I just came up short.
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