A Tip of the Cap to former Steelers RB Barry Foster and His 1992 Season

Conclusion/Reflection:

Foster’s 1992 campaign would be the last time he played a full season for the Steelers.  Like so many RB’s however, Foster’s success and career were short lived, and like a shooting star evaporated from our sights and memories too quickly.  Injuries in 1993 (He still made the Pro Bowl that season) and 1994 coupled with the emergence of Bam Morris led to Foster’s exit from Pittsburgh before the 1995 season after failing a physical for the Panthers and deciding against playing for the Bengals.

At 26, Foster was finished as a professional football player.  And the oddest yet craziest part of Foster’s retirement was that he was less than 3 years removed from a season where he gained over 2,000 yards from scrimmage.

As a Steelers fan that is in my mid-20’s the memories of ’92 still remain strong.  1992 was one of the most important seasons in franchise history because it signaled the point where the Steelers began the post-Chuck Noll era and a “new leaf” being turned over.  1992 was also important because it was the first real successful season the Steelers had put together since 1984 (1989 was a great run, but the team was arguably the worst in N.F.L. history to qualify for Postseason play).

So let’s celebrate A.B.’s wonderful accomplishment and ready ourselves for more awesome seasons to come.  But while we laud Antonio, let us remember and reflect upon whose record he broke and the memorable 1992 season that Barry Foster and the Steelers had.  While he may not rank up in the highest echelons of “Steeler Greats,” Barry Foster achieved greatness for one magical season

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