An Interview with Arian Foster
by John Granato
What is it like to be famous?
I don’t consider myself to be famous actually.
Well you are and do you like what it means?
Let’s call it familiar not famous. It doesn’t bother me it’s just part of it and part of what I do. It’s nice to have fans that admire you and respect you and I like to acknowledge that.
Do you think you are a little misunderstood because you don’t use a lot of cliches?
People are not use to that maybe because many athletes don’t think like me so maybe misunderstood.
Were you poetic and creative as a kid? Yea I think I was born that way, but at Tennessee I developed my rebelliousness nature, but the creativity was always there.
You went undrafted out of college at the University of Tennessee. Was that a wake up call for you?
I did have to change my mental attitude and my outlook on things. I was really rebellious and was not much for a systemic lifestyle. I like to be an individual and in the realm of the football world it’s not looked at as individualistic it’s looked at as rebelliousness so I had to find a happy median between the two. In the National Football League they are looking for outgoing personalities and people are looking for someone that they can relate with.
Was it the hard work you told me about that turned it around for you?
Yea when you are in college you work hard but in their system and you do what you are told and when you are in the NFL you are paid to perform but also to stay in shape. One of the freedoms they give you is the option of the best way for you to stay in shape and I think then I found my niche and was allowed me time to blossom by focusing on nutrition and all other aspects of training.
Do you cook?
No. I can but I don’t.
Besides the football what do you do for fun?
I do a lot of things. I have a little daughter so you know we partake in a lot of activities and watch a lot of kids shows. I also have a little studio in my house that I have set up and I like to make music of different genres and am really involved with music.
How did your daughter change you? Ah, she changed me dramatically. She is pretty much what I do everything for now and I see so much of myself in her and I just strive to be the best father I can be and the best shining example of a human being so she has someone she can look up to. There is a lot of negativity and news kind of flocks toward that so I try to be a positive example and show her different ways of doing things and really just trying to teach her how to develop her own mind and not try to mold her into a little me.
Are you a fun dad?
Absolutely. I am a fun person.
When you retire what do you think you will do?
There is no telling. I have always in my head as a kid told myself that I was going to be in the NFL and I will find something when I’m in the NFL that I enjoy doing and I will build on that and it’s starting to move that way.