| Date of birth: | December 8, 1968 |
| Place of birth: | Hurst, Texas |
| Career information | |
|---|---|
| Position(s): | Running Back |
| College: | Arkansas |
| NFL Draft: | 1990 / Round: 5 / Pick 128 |
| Organizations | |
| As player: | |
| 1990-1994 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Pro Bowls: | 1992, 1993 |
| Awards: | 1992 UPI AFL-AFC Offensive Player of the Year |
| Playing stats at DatabaseFootball.com | |
Barry Foster (born on December 8, 1968 in Hurst, Texas) is a former American football running back in the National Football League.
Career[]
He attended Duncanville High School in Texas. Barry also has a nephew playing professionally (Brandon Foster) in the Indianapolis Colts. Unlike his nephew he was drafted with the 19th pick of the 5th round (128th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1990 after leaving the University of Arkansas early.
Foster was used primarily on special teams his first seasons and made an infamous mistake his rookie season. He let a ball drop in front of him on a kickoff and roll past him without touching it which allowed the San Francisco 49ers to recover it deep in Steelers territory. His second season, in 1991, started out great with a 121 yard rushing game with a 56-yard touchdown run against the Buffalo Bills in week 2 but he sprained his ankle a few weeks later and missed five games.
In 1992, Foster became the starting running back and showed what he could do. He rushed for a Steelers single season record 1,690 yards and also broke Franco Harris' team record for 100-yard games in a season with 12, that also tied Eric Dickerson's NFL record for 100-yard games. He was voted to the Pro Bowl that year and also scored 11 touchdowns. He was off to another great season in 1993, but injuries limited him to 711 yards in 9 games with 8 touchdowns. Despite the injuries, Foster still made the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row.
Foster played 11 games in 1994 (again limited due to injuries) and gained 851 yards. In the AFC Championship game, down 17-13, the Steelers were mounting the go-ahead drive. On the last play of the game, a 4th down and goal from the 3-yard line, Foster was Neil O'Donnell's intended receiver on a short underneath route near the goal line. The play was successfully defended by the San Diego linebacker Dennis Gibson and the Steelers' season was over.
He left Pittsburgh for the Carolina Panthers in 1995 but was cut in training camp when he failed a physical. Later that season, he signed with the Cincinnati Bengals but retired a few days later without playing a game. He announced that he had saved his money and had enough to retire.
Foster became a coach in NFL Europe in 2003. He became the running backs coach to the Rhein Fire.
Career statistics[]
- 5 years
- 62 games
- Rushing
- 915 carries, 3,943 yards, 26 TDs, 4.3 yards per carry
- Receiving
- 93 catches, 804 yards, 2 TDs, 8.6 yards per catch
Family[]
Foster has been married to Teray M. Foster for 18 years and they have 3 children, Janea Foster age 19, Barry Foster Jr age 16 and Tamara M. Foster age 13. Barry Foster and his family live in the Dallas, TX area.