Jayson Foster Signs Free Agent Deal with Miami Dolphins
4/28/2008 4:18:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO, Ga. ? Jayson Foster (Canton/Cherokee County), former All-America quarterback at Georgia Southern University, signed a free agent contract with the Miami Dolphins. Foster anticipates playing wide receiver and serving as a return specialist.
Miami, under first-year head coach Tony Sparano, will hold their rookie camp this weekend and Foster will fly down to Miami to participate. Even though he did not get his named called in the draft, Foster wasn't disappointed.
“No I wasn't disappointed because I am still going to be playing football just like the players that did get drafted. After the draft was over we talked to a few teams and I was excited because I knew I had some offers on the table,” said Foster. “(Former NFL Head) Coach Bill Parcells is in their front office now, they have a really good coaching staff in place and I think Miami is the best opportunity for me to make a team.”
Foster capped his stellar playing career by winning the 2007 Walter Payton Award, given to the top offensive player in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. He received several All-America honors this year as a quarterback, running back and all-purpose player.
Foster was named ?Offensive Player of the Year' in a vote by the Southern Conference's head coaches and sports media association. After the squad finished 3-8 last year Foster again switched from wide receiver to quarterback (a position he played his sophomore year), kick returner and holder. He led the Eagles to a 7-4 overall record. The four-win improvement is the Eagles' second-largest increase in regular season play.
Throughout his career Foster showcased his elusiveness, accounting for 77 touchdowns five different ways ? 54 rushing, 15 passing, one kickoff return, two punt returns and five receiving.
Foster's 1,844 rushing yards (second nationally in rushing yards per game) set a NCAA Division I record for most rushing yards by a quarterback. That yardage was the second-highest total in a Georgia Southern season, and third-most in SoCon history. He recorded a SoCon-leading 24 touchdowns on the ground.
He completed 109-of-170 passes for 1,203 yards and six TDs to four interceptions. Foster did not throw an interception over the final six games.
Foster ended the 2007 campaign nationally ranked in various other categories, including: third in scoring (13.5 ppg), fifth in all-purpose yards (189 ypg), 12th in total offense (277 ypg) and 49th in punt returns (7.8 yards per return).
Thanks to his stellar senior season Foster ended his career ranked in several GSU career categories, including: 3,835 rushing yards (fourth all-time), 6.74 yards per career rush (second), 372 points (third), 143 pass completions (sixth) and 15 passing TDs (sixth).
This isn't the first time Parcells signed a Walter Payton Award winner as a free agent. While in his first-year as head coach at Dallas, Parcells and the Cowboys signed 2002 Payton winner Tony Romo. Foster also said that Miami not picking up many receivers in the draft factored into his decision.
“I am going to go down there, work hard and try to make the most of my opportunity to show what I can do. If it works out well I think I'll have a chance to make the team.”
