Reuben Foster had a chance to prove he was a top prospect for the NFL Draft at the NFL combine this week. He managed to blow that opportunity in an eyebrow raising way before he even had a chance to take the field or talk to teams. That's what happens when a prospect gets into a heated exchange with a hospital worker, though.
The incident
Foster is being sent home from the combine for an incident that occurred at some point on Thursday night, even though reports of it did not emerge until late Friday. The linebacker was reportedly seen getting into a heated exchange with a hospital worker in Indianapolis.
Not much more is known at the moment, and the NFL didn't comment on it, other than to say "personal reasons" were the cause of the Alabama player's absence.
It's possible that the incident had to do with some sort of evaluation of an injury Foster has been recovering from over the past few weeks. He suffered a right shoulder injury and underwent rotator-cuff surgery, which was set to sideline him from combine drills anyways. Now, in addition to not taking the field for drills, he will also miss a pivotal opportunity to meet with teams while raising red flags across the NFL.
Endangering draft stock
The combine can be a large factor in a prospect's NFL draft stock. A strong showing could move a player up team draft boards, while a poor showing can cause the draft stock to plummet.
For Foster, this is virtually the worst case scenario for his draft stock, as he has embarrassed himself on a national stage and sacrificed an ability to explain himself.
The inside linebacker was a unanimous All-American and the top inside linebacker on many NFL draft boards. His shoulder surgery is of concern on its own, but he is expected to recover in time for training camps in July.
After his heated outburst at the combine, however, Foster may no longer go in the first round. If he does, he will carry a burden of character concerns that didn't surround the Crimson Tide linebacker before this week.