Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster was reportedly sent home from the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday evening after he got into a “heated argument with a hospital worker,” according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Foster was scheduled to interview with teams Friday and do testing Saturday, per Schefter, but he’s now slated to fly back to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, following the verbal altercation.
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller provided additional details regarding the incident:
Just heard interviews were bad for Foster this week. One scout said it was a bad week for him. https://twitter.com/nfldraftscout/status/837869077771218944 …
Matt Miller
✔@nfldraftscoutI’m told Reuben Foster incident happened yesterday. Teams are working to get more details.
Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson cited a source who said Foster “got into heated argument with a doctor” because he felt “mistreated.” The source also said it was not a “physical confrontation.”
When reached for comment, an NFL spokesman told Schefter that Foster was sent home for “personal reasons.”
The 2016 Dick Butkus Award winner, Foster shined at Alabama last season to the tune of five sacks and 115 tackles, including 13 for loss.
Thanks to that production, Foster shot up draft boards and cemented himself as a potential top-10 selection in April’s draft.
In his latest mock draft, Miller predicted Foster to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 9 overall.
“Foster’s range, instincts and tackling skill set are among the best you’ll see at middle linebacker in college,” Miller wrote. “He’s tailor-made for the pro game with his speed to the edge and what he’s been asked to do as the ‘Mike’ linebacker for Alabama.”
However, Foster has dealt with injury woes since his time at Alabama came to a close. According to ESPN’s Adam Caplan, Foster underwent right rotator cuff surgery in February.
Combine those issues with this report of an altercation, and Foster may have to do some work when it comes to rehabilitating his image in advance of draft day.
Source: BleacherReport