Report: Alabama Inside Linebacker Reuben Foster Failed Drug Test at NFL Combine

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, Alabama inside linebacker Reuben Foster failed a drug test at the NFL Combine–in addition to being already dismissed from the league’s annual event because of an altercation with a hospital worker during a scheduled physical:

"“Last month, Foster was notified that his urine sample obtained in Indianapolis during the combine was reported as dilute,” reports Rapoport. “Based on the provisions of the NFL’s policy and program for substances of abuse, “this will be treated like a positive test.”“As for why the test came back dilute, Foster explained in detail. He said he was sick before the combine. He was throwing up, had diarrhea, couldn’t keep anything down and was cramping. One adviser offered to have a doctor put him on IVs to hydrate, but he didn’t want that. He saw a doctor, got some medication and started hydrating himself.”“Foster believes it was food poisoning.”"

The former Crimson Tide standout has projected to be anything from a Top 5 pick to falling to the mid-teens, but right now, his draft stock appears to be very volatile.

Having also had surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff this offseason, Foster could be free-falling out of the early first round–although that’s still far from a given at this time.

Highly regarded as the top inside linebacker prospect in this year’s draft class, there’s no questioning Foster’s talent and production on the field.

The reigning unanimous 1st-Team All-American and All-SEC selection is coming off a season for the Crimson Tide in which he recorded 115 total tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, and 2 passes defensed in 15 games.

He’s already been compared to inside linebacker greats such as Patrick Willis and Bobby Wagner, who are among the most complete players at the position in recent memory–having sideline-to-sideline ability against both the pass and run.

However, there continue to be lingering concerns about his character–especially after this latest incident off-the-field.

Regardless, Foster remains headstrong that he’ll be one of the best players in this year’s draft:

"“If it’s first round, second round, whoever takes me will get a good football player and an All-Pro,” Foster said via Rapoport. “I hope I go on Thursday, but I can’t control that.”"

Whether the Colts will take a chance on Foster’s tantalizing talent remains to be seen, but new general Chris Ballard has at least demonstrated that he will not shy away from taking a player with a checkered past if he checks out with the team’s staff on an individual basis:

"“Look, guys make mistakes, so it’s our job as an organization, and I’ve mentioned this before, tune out the (noise),” said Ballard on Wednesday in his pre-draft press conference. “I don’t care what everybody else thinks and (what) their opinions are. Make our opinions internally. Do our work internally and make sure we exhaust it with the player to know what we’re getting with him when he enters the building, and then how he’s going to be in the community also. It’s a case-by-case basis.”"

The intriguing inside linebacker prospect has already been a popular target for the Colts with the 15th overall pick in mock drafts, but it remains to be seen whether Indianapolis will ‘roll the dice on Reuben’.

There’s no question he’d be an immediate upgrade to their inside linebacker position from purely an on-the-field production standpoint, but potential character concerns still loom large.