Last Friday, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested and charged with second-degree possession of marijuana in Alabama. As a result, the young and exciting player, who just completed his first NFL season, is likely to see a fine from the league for violating NFL policy and void a substantial sum from his rookie contract.
While the merits of its use in the NFL has been debated, marijuana is still a violation of the NFL's drug policy. The league and the NFLPA agreed decades ago that marijuana would be prohibited for all purposes so it's a policy that players must abide.
While Foster's athletic ability was never in doubt, his health and maturity were contributing factors to him falling to the 31st overall selection in last year's draft. Some of the maturity concerns may have resurfaced due to this latest incident.
49ers play-by-play announcer Ted Robinson weighed in on the situation during a KNBR interview on Wednesday.
"He has to take care of himself away from the game," Robinson said on the "Murph & Mac" show. "I think everyone is becoming more and more aware of the presence of marijuana. Not just the legality of it but the presence of it as used by athletes across the board for pain management. And given the opioid crisis in America, that's a very valid conversation I think that medically educated people can have, is that balance. Is it better that [marijuana] be used for pain management rather than opioids and the highly addictive nature of that?
"That doesn't change the rules that are in place and the structures in place that all players have to follow. Like everybody, you hope that Reuben Foster finds that maturity that he can take care of himself off the field. Because if he can, then on the field, he has a chance to have a hellacious career."
Anyone who has spoken to Foster would agree that the linebacker's personality is infectious. During radio interviews, you can tell he is smiling throughout the whole thing without even seeing his face. He possesses a great passion for the game and his teammates.
Robinson, who has the privilege of observing some team practices that even the beat writers don't get to see, shared a story from late in the season that exhibits Foster's love of his teammates.
Nick Mullens is the quarterback on the 49ers practice squad. There was a time when he had to fill in as a free safety on the scout team during practices this season due to injuries at the position.
"There was one drill (during a practice late in the season) where the first team [offense] was going against the scout team [defense] and a pass over the middle gets tipped and Nick Mullens makes a diving interception as the deep free safety," Robinson shared. "Reuben Foster sprints off the sideline, jumps, hugs him, and starts a big pile on the field about the kid who's the practice team quarterback getting the pick. And it's just Reuben Foster. That's his infectious enthusiasm."
Foster finished the 2017 season with 72 combined tackles and a pass defensed through 10 game appearances. He also finished the season with the team's highest Pro Football Focus grade (90.7).
You can listen to the entire interview with Robinson below.
