Q&A with Mason Foster, Washington LB

Published on February 27, 2011 by Seahawk Fanatic     

Q: How are things going for you so far?

Foster: It has been good. Got out here, get settled in. Little hectic, a bunch of physicals and everything, but it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to it’s pretty exciting.

Q: You had a pretty good Senior Bowl so are you hoping to continue to build momentum off of that.

Foster: Oh, definitely. That was the plan, to come to the Senior Bowl, play as hard as I could, have fun and it worked out for me. I’m just trying to keep it going now here at the combine.

Q: Did you play WILL at Washington and what do you see yourself at the next level.

Foster: I played WILL and I played SAM at Washington so I’m comfortable playing wherever, you know. SAM, MIKE, WILL, wherever teams see me, I’m comfortable playing. Definitely the last few years, I got comfortable playing WILL, but at the Senior Bowl I played SAM so either way, I’m comfortable.

Q: Where do you see yourself, though? Do you feel your strength is playing SAM, and up on the line or more off in coverage?

Foster: Probably more off in coverage. I feel like I do good in both. I just got comfortable, the two years I played WILL, I led the Pac-10 in tackles. So I’m comfortable playing WILL.

Q: What did you measure at?

Foster: 6-1, 245.

Q: If there’s one thing you feel you have to get better at at the next level, what would it be?

Foster: Just using my hands in pass rush or if it’s getting through traffic. I feel like you could always get better at that. That’s something that’s going to be important at this next level, something that my coaches at Washington really harped on on getting better at. I got better throughout my senior season. You could always get better at that. That will always help you out.

Q: Why were you so productive? You mentioned leading the Pac-10 in tackles a couple of years.

Foster: I felt like it was just my instincts. I’ve always played linebacker my whole life. I have real good instincts, and I watch film a lot. We had a lot of older, Donald Butler and Roy Lewis, guys that taught me from freshman year that if you watch film, you can take care of half your stuff before the ball is even snapped. That makes me ahead of the game a little bit.

Q: How much did you lean on Donald, going through this experience last year?

Foster: Donald is one of my best friends, besides football and everything. He has been one of my best friends since I walked to UW, and definitely having a guy who has been through the Senior Bowl, who went through the combine and everything is great to have in your corner. Just talking to him the day before I left, Wednesday night, talking for two hours. Talking about life and what to look forward to in here and he’s telling me to relax and have fun. It’s great to have a guy like that.

Q: He’s a guy that went through a similar thing, went to the Senior Bowl and kind of jumped off a little bit, ended up being a third-round pick. Is that a path you’re hoping to follow?

Foster: Yes sir, that would be perfect to follow in his steps and get drafted like that in the first three rounds up there, it’s a great feeling. It’s what you dream about.

Tags: Combine, Donald Butler, Foster Washington, Instincts, Lifetime Opportunity, Lot, Mason, Momentum, Next Level, Pac 10, Physicals, Rush, Senior Bowl, tackles, Traffic, Whole Life