Think you know Reuben Foster? Guess again.
Yes, he's America's No. 2 high school player and the country's top inside linebacker.
Yes, he's a five-star recruit, according to Rivals.com.
Yes, he's 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 242 pounds.
Yes, he's the recruit that made headlines this July after de-committing from Alabama only to tell the nation he would become an Auburn Tiger in 2013.
But there's more to Foster than what pops up on Google.
He's funny, can't dance and hates cats.
He's a momma's boy and a teenage dad that can't get enough of his daughter.
And he's a high school star that has overcome adversity to prove to the naysayers that he's a person, not just another football player.
"Well, people know I'm kind and I'm lovable," Foster said through a smile. "They just don't know that I struggle every day trying to reach my goals. I struggle every day. And it hurts me. Sometimes I feel like quitting, but I got to step it up because they say, 'You can't quit, you gotta do it for your daughter.' They don't know I struggle every day, and sometimes I feel like quitting and not going to college."
Don't get him wrong. He loves what he does, but sacks and tackles for a loss aren't what drive him.
For Foster, family comes first.
Rewind to July 12, the day Foster formally announced his commitment to Auburn. Many have questioned the decision, saying he only switched because he has a greater chance of starting his freshman year under Gene Chizik than he would under Nick Saban.
Foster tells it a different way.
"When my coach left Troup, there was a lot of stuff going on that I didn't want to be a part of, so I was just looking for a high school. I found Auburn High because we played against them last year and they had a good team," Foster said. "I was going to go to Oxford but I said no, because Auburn is close to my family. Alabama isn't close to my family. I'm just a family person. You have Alabama, you know, 'Roll Tide' and a championship team. And you have Auburn, 'War Eagle' and the AU family. A guy like me, I'm all about family. I care about national championships, but I'm going to win a national championship with a family before I do it with a team."
Most recruits express their college choice by simply putting on a hat with the school's logo, but what Foster did was different. In having his daughter as the key part of his reveal, he silently told the world that she, not football, is his number one priority.
"I'm a family dude," Foster said. "It don't feel right just to not have my daughter there, because she's going to be in my life for all those years until she turns 18, well until she turns 50, cause by then I'll probably be gone," he joked. "But until she's 50, she's going to be a part of my life, because she ain't going nowhere. She ain't going to date until about 40. So yeah, I'm a family dude and I just wanted my little girl there for memories. That's a memory you won't forget, switching from a rival to another rival and I just wanted to tell my daughter that she grew up loved; everybody loves her. I needed her. I didn't want to do no hat trick, I just needed her in that little cheerleading outfit."
If that doesn't speak volumes about Foster's character, maybe this will.
When asked if he wanted to say anything to Auburn students and fans, he didn't promise a national championship or an undefeated season. Instead, he pledged to work hard in honor of his family.
"Auburn fans, I'm not going anywhere," Foster said. "I'm staying, to do it for my cousin, Ladarious Phillips, man. And to do what people think nobody like me can do, just to prove them wrong. Just to cherish every single moment and every chance I get, because I don't take anything for granted."
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