Ramon Foster Talks Golic, Run Game, Offense Last Season, AFC North

Steelers OL Ramon Foster isn’t only trying to get his craft to a different level in 2013, he’s also trying to show the way of an undrafted free agent rookie – Mike Golic Jr.

Foster is part of the new Gillette Clear Gel’s “Built for Training” program, which is featuring videos with Foster showing Golic the way around the NFL in his first summer.

You can see the first video from the series HERE.

Steelers Gab: Ramon what do you like about being a part of the program and how is it going?
Ramon Foster: It’s been going going pretty good, I’m glad to have a chance to help Mike (Golic Jr.) be in the spotlight, especially being an undrafted guy like I was, it shows that it’s not easy to make the team, drafted or undrafted.

SG: What are your impressions of Golic?
RF: He’s a fighter, and hes’ a smart kid, I think he’s given it his all to this point, and he’s in there fighting everyday trying to make an impact on the coaching staff.

SG: Do you think Golic has tried to use his name to his advantage at all?
RF: Some of the older guys have given him a little trouble about it, but he’s taken it in stride and he knows what he’s doing. To his credit he doesn’t bring up his dads name, he knows he’s his own man.

SG: Do you think we’ll see Golic on the field this week against the Redskins?
RF: I think the coaches will make that happen and he’s salivating for it, he’ll be good to go and he’ll be ready for it when it happens.

SG: Anything that you’ve told Golic that maybe has shocked him a little?
RF: Well, there’s been some guys with him that have gone down, and I’ve told him this is an opportunity to shine, not to worry about friendship out there on the field, and I think that shocked him a little bit.

SG: Talk some about the new look run game that seems to be getting a lot of attention in camp thus far
RF: We understand we have a great quarterback in #7, and we need to keep him up and take some of the pressure off him. We understand we have to make this run game go to be a playoff team and a championship caliber team in 2013.

SG: What’s your impressions of the four main running backs on the roster?
RF: Having all of those guys is exciting, I think the coaches are going to have a tough call to make, then again they could go with all four, it doesn’t really matter.

SG: Was it tough last season when the offense had so many issues after Ben Roethlisberger came back from injury?
RF: It was frustrating, humbling and embarrassing all in the same tone. It’s one of the things we look at this season to put ourselves in a position to again be a playoff and championship team.

SG: Talk a bit about the division, you have three teams that it seems all can challenge for the division title
RF: You can flip a coin and on any given Sunday any one of the teams can beat the other. That’s part of the reason we have been pushing and practicing so hard to be ready, we have to ready week in and week out to fight and battle.

SG: Finally talk a little about all the hitting in camp so far, and as a player personally if you like that
RF: Well, speaking from an offensive lineman’s perspective, it’s full speed for us in every practice, so hitting doesn’t bother us one bit. Maybe for the wide outs and corners it’s different, but I think it just gives a better perspective for us as we get ready for the season.