Getting to Know the 2012 Steelers: Guard Ramon Foster

PRO (41-26/4-4): Signed by the Steelers as an undrafted free agent on April 27, 2009…has started 11 games the past two seasons for various injured linemen.

2011 (15-14/1-1): 9/11 at Baltimore: Was inactive…9/18 vs. Seattle: Started at LG in place of injured LG Chris Kemoeatu…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 421 total yards and for QB Ben Roethlisberger to throw for 298 yards and one touchdown…9/25 at Indianapolis: Saw action on the offensive line…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 408 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 364 yards and one touchdown…10/2 at Houston: Made his second start of the season, this time at RG in place of injured RG Doug Legursky…helped block for a Steelers’ rushing attack to gain 118 yards on the ground and for Roethlisberger to throw for 206 yards…10/9 vs. Tennessee: Played in his 30^th career game and made his 15^th career start at RG…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 174 yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 228 yards and five touchdowns…10/16 vs. Jacksonville: Started his third consecutive game at RG…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 185 yards, including RB Rashard Mendenhall’s 146 yards and one touchdown, and for Roethlisberger to throw for 200 yards and one touchdown…10/23 at Arizona: Made fifth start of the season at RG…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 445 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 361 yards and three touchdowns…10/30/11 vs. New England: Started at RG… helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 427 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for a season-high 365 yards and two touchdowns…11/6/11 vs. Baltimore: Started at RG…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 392 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 330 yards and one touchdown…11/13 at Cincinnati: Played in his 35^th career game, making his 20^th career start at RG…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 328 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 245 yards and one touchdown…11/27 at Kansas City: Started at RG…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 108 yards on the ground…12/4 vs. Cincinnati: Started at RG…left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury and did not return…12/8 vs. Cleveland: Started at RG…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 416 total yards…12/19 at San Francisco: Started at RG…12/24 vs. St. Louis: Started at RG…helped block for the Steelers offense to gain 377 total yards…1/1 at Cleveland: Started at RG…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 360 total yards…AFC Wild Card 1/8 at Denver: Made his fourth consecutive postseason start at RG.

2010 (12-8/3-3): Played in 12 games, starting eight on the offensive line…saw increased playing time due to injuries to OG Chris Kemoeatu and OG Trai Essex…started the final eight games at OG…paved the way for RB Rashard Mendenhall to rush for a career-high 1,273 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 120.3 yards per game on the ground…helped block for QB Ben Roethlisberger to throw for 3,200 yards and 17 touchdowns and for the Steelers’ offense to gain 345.3 yards per game…started all three postseason contests at right guard…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 121.0 yards per game during the postseason and for Roethlisberger to throw for 622 yards and four touchdowns…9/12 vs. Atlanta: Was inactive…9/19 at Tennessee: Was inactive…9/26 at Tampa Bay: Made his season debut on the offensive line…helped block for a Steelers’ rushing attack that gained 201 yards on the ground and 387 total yards…helped block for Mendenhall to have a game-high143 yards rushing…helped block for QB Charlie Batch to throw for 186 yards and three first-half touchdowns…was part of an offensive line that did not commit any penalties or allow a sack…10/3 vs. Baltimore: Played in his second consecutive game on the offensive line…helped block for Mendenhall to rush for 79 yards and two touchdowns…10/17 vs. Cleveland: Played in his third consecutive game on the offensive line…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 121 yards on the ground…helped block for QB Ben Roethlisberger to thrown for 257 yards and three touchdowns…was part of an offensive line that did not allow a sack for the second time this season…10/24 at Miami: Played in his fourth consecutive game on the offensive line…helped block for Roethlisberger to throw for 302 yards and two touchdowns…10/31 at New Orleans: Was inactive…11/8 at Cincinnati: Was inactive…11/14 vs. New England: Made his first start of the season at left guard for injured LG Chris Kemoeatu…helped block for Roethlisberger to throw for a season-high 387 yards and three touchdowns and for the offense to gain 425 yards…11/21 vs. Oakland: Made his second consecutive start on the offensive line at RG…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 162 yards on the ground, for Roethlisberger to throw for 275 yards and three touchdowns and for the Steelers’ offense to gain 431 yards of total offense…11/28 at Buffalo: Made his third consecutive start on the offensive line…helped block for Mendenhall to gain a season-high 151 yards rushing…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain a season-high 206 yards rushing and for Roethlisberger to throw for 246 yards…helped block for a Steelers’ offense that had 426 total yards…12/5 at Baltimore: Made his fourth consecutive start on the offensive line…helped block for Roethlisberger to throw for 253 yards…12/12 vs. Cincinnati: Made his fifth consecutive start on the offensive line…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 123 yards on the ground and for Roethlisberger to throw for 258 yards…12/19 vs. N.Y. Jets: Made his sixth consecutive start at RG…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 147 yards on the ground and for Roethlisberger to throw for 264 yards and one touchdown…12/23 vs. Carolina: Made his seventh consecutive start at RG…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 408 yards of total offense…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 115 yards on the ground and for Roethlisberger to throw for 320 yards and one touchdown…1/2 at Cleveland: Made his eighth consecutive start at RG…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 418 total yards and for Roethlisberger to throw for 280 yards and two touchdowns…AFC Divisional Game 1/15 vs. Baltimore: Played in his first career postseason game, starting at RG…helped block for Roethlisberger to throw for 226 yards and two touchdowns…AFC Championship Game 1/23 vs. N.Y. Jets: Made his second consecutive postseason start at RG…helped block for the Steelers’ offense to gain 287 total yards and for Mendenhall to rush for 121 yards and one touchdown…was part of an offensive line that didn’t commit a penalty…Super Bowl XLV 2/6 vs. Green Bay: Made his third career postseason start at RG…helped block for Steelers’ rushers to gain 126 yards on the ground and for the Steelers’ offense to gain 387 total yards…helped block for Roethlisberger to throw for 263 yards and two touchdowns.

COLLEGE: Foster was a three-year starter who earned Freshman All-SEC honors in 2005 after stepping in at left guard and right tackle due to injuries…primarily started at right tackle the past three seasons…named to the ESPN Mark May’s 2007 “MayDay Team” after playing with a broken thumb throughout most of his junior season…played in a career total of 44 games…four-year letterman. 2008: Played and started in all 12 games…named one of the team’s captains…recorded one unassisted tackle. 2007: Played and started in all 14 games…recognized for excellence with All-SEC second team nod by Rivals.com…Vols led country with only four sacks allowed…starting quarterback Erik Ainge was sacked just three times in 519 pass attempts, setting major college record for minimum 300 attempts…team’s combined 534 pass attempts meant opponents sacked UT quarterbacks once every 133.5 attempts…suffered broken thumb in pregame warmups before Vanderbilt contest, but still played entire game and did not miss any snaps rest of season…led to his being named to All-MayDay Team by ESPN analyst Mark May…played both tackle and guard positions…helped Tennessee offense produce a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver. 2006: Played in 11 games…part of offensive line unit that allowed only 19 sacks — third fewest in the league — against 415 pass attempts — second-most in the league. 2005: Played in seven games with two starts…six of his 2005 appearances were versus SEC competition…for his efforts, earned Freshman All-SEC nod by league coaches…started at left guard in collegiate debut against UAB after injuries at center position forced veteran Rob Smith to fill that void…saw action along the offensive front at LSU…shared 2005 Harvey Robinson Award as most improved offensive player in spring practice with David Ligon. 2004: Redshirted.

PERSONAL: Attended Ripley High School in Ripley, Tenn.

His Role with the Steelers in 2012: Foster has had a role the last two seasons filling in mostly as a reserve, and that should not change much in 2012.  The key to having a good offensive line is having players that can come in for those injured, and Foster getting better is a key to that, along with other players who don’t start games.  Foster is not a bad player is spot play, but with the young players coming in, here’s hoping you don’t need to see him starting on a weekly basis.