FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Is he a running back or a wide receiver? That question followed rookie D.J. Foster into the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the New England Patriots, and it's something that still hasn't been decisively answered.
"That's kind of what D.J. was at Arizona State; he was some running back, he was some slot receiver," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said, adding that Foster is a "smart kid" who also had been utilized as a returner.
"He has all of those skills. He can run receiver routes, he can catch the ball, he can carry the ball, he can run inside runs. He's fast. He's a tough matchup against certain linebackers. But if you treat him as a receiver he can, as he did in preseason, handle the ball, run it from the backfield. Not just toss plays, he can run regular runs.
"He has some variety of skills that kind of transcend between those two positions. He's an interesting player. That's why he made our roster."
In making the initial 53-man roster, the 6-foot, 195-pound Foster continued a notable streak of undrafted players sticking with the Patriots out of training camp. After totaling 444 rushes for 2,355 yards (18 TDs) and 222 receptions for 2,458 yards (14 TDs) with the Sun Devils, he's been groomed mostly behind the scenes as a rookie, playing in three games while learning behind top Patriots pass-catching running backs James White and Dion Lewis.
Foster, who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Nov. 22, shares his "football journey" as part of the weekly feature on ESPN.com's Patriots blog:
When he started playing football: “It was flag football, around 8 or 9, with a lot of kids from my local area. That was the time when everyone was figuring out what sports they like. I loved it, my first taste of football and being part of a team.”
First positions: “Running back and safety/corner.”
Favorite teams and players growing up: “I loved watching college football and was a huge Cal-Berkeley fan and their running backs -- Marshawn Lynch, Jahvid Best, Shane Vereen. Loved them all and watched them every year.”
Role models in his life: “A lot of my coaches. I played travel basketball, AAU, and my coach for that [Jeff deLaveaga]. We were called the Gym Rats, a whole organization based in the Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix area, and he definitely had an impact on a lot of our lives. You spend so much time with them in your youth, year-round, you’re going to all these different cities at 11, 12 years old. I learned a lot from those parents and coaches. Then my high school coach, John Sanders, he’s coached a lot over the years and has a lot of passion for football. He taught me what hard coaching really is, and that someone might yell at you, but they care about you off the field and check in on you.”
Top memories at Saguaro High, where he set the Arizona single-season record with 60 touchdowns as a senior: “State championships. I was blessed to be part of winning three of them in my four years there. One of the biggest ones was when we were down to Canyon del Oro. Ka’Deem Carey was their running back, he’s with the Bears now, and he was having an amazing year. They were our rivals that we couldn’t find a way to beat. But came back from two touchdowns against them in the state championship and ended up winning that in Sun Devil Stadium at ASU.”
Staying close to home and enrolling at Arizona State: “Family was the biggest thing for me at the time. It came down to that and Cal, which I grew up watching. I thought about going back to California, where my family is originally from, but at the time I just wasn’t ready to leave. A lot of the schools that were recruiting me, pretty much all the coaching staffs had jobs that were on the line. There was a lot of shuffling and I didn’t feel a sense of security. So I felt like staying home and playing, no matter what coach came in, it was a good place to be to have family around me.”
Frigid day. RBs coach Ivan Fears gets his group going before having some fun w/ rookie D.J. Foster (Arizona State). pic.twitter.com/6n9p5pJuTL
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) December 15, 2016
Top football memories at ASU, where he played running back (three seasons) and receiver (one season): “My sophomore year we had a running back, Marion Grice, who went down and I stepped in for the last three games. It was the Territorial Cup against U of A when I got my first start and was named MVP of the game. We played in the Pac-12 Championship, that was against Tyler Gaffney [and Stanford]. I ended up getting hurt, but those two games were great and a big stepping stone.”
Expectations leading into the 2016 NFL draft: “It was a crazy time, kind of like I am now, not knowing my position and going back and forth. What am I going to go into the combine as? What am I going to go into the draft as? What are coaches going to see in me? It was very hectic, but it was fun. I enjoyed my time training and meeting new guys, being around professional athletes and seeing guys and their mindsets.”
Signing with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent: “I was picking between New England and Arizona. It was crazy, I had five minutes to decide. I talked to Coach Belichick and that was kind of a dream come true, kind of surreal feeling. I just felt like this was the right place to go to take that next step.”
Life as a Patriot: “It’s amazing, to come into the locker room every day where guys have the same mindset and are ready to go out and work and handle their business. The saying is ‘do your job’ and that’s what guys really do in this locker room. There aren’t a lot of politics or BS. It’s a very professional place, with a very close group of guys and it’s been great to learn from the coaching staff.”
What he loves about football: “The relationships. In my experience, those are the most important, meeting different people at different stages of life. Being around these guys, people you grew up watching, and being able to understand them and learn about them and their past and their families. Being able to share a laugh with the fellas, I think that’s what a lot of guys miss when they are done playing football -- being around the locker room.”
Summing up his football journey: “Unbelievable, crazy, hectic, but a very rewarding process. A lot of guys don’t make it, but I do believe it’s about being in the right place at the right time. I think your decisions are important, and one can change your whole future -- in life and in football. It’s been an amazing journey and hopefully it continues. I do feel blessed to have made it here. I never in a million years would have thought I’d get to an organization like this, with the coaches and players like we have here. I’m just enjoying every day.”