Arian Foster and the importance of individuality

Cal U'Ren, Staff Reporter

Arian Foster and the importance of individuality

Arian Foster is a four time pro-bowl running back and the franchise leader in rushing yards for The Houstan Texans. During his 8 year career that ultimately ended earlier this week, Foster established himself as a star player on the field, as well as an outspoken advocate for his personal beliefs. In 2015 Arian came out as the first openly secular athlete in all four major American sports, and in 2016 he was found kneeling during the national anthem in protest before National Football League games. He has penned open letters to his daughters in response to criticism about his past relationships, and while many consider him a significant public figure, he often acknowledges his own insignificance in the bigger picture of the world. What Arian Foster did during his 8 years in the spotlight was be himself, and this has become a diminished act in sports today.

While individuality and self-expression are often highlighted by media outlets due to the sensationalism behind both concepts, they are generally for the wrong reasons. Athletes now must consider the repercussions of their daily words and actions in regards to branding and their endorsement deals. Simply put, many of their actions are to promote a facade or are with an agenda behind them. A blatant example is New England Patriots superstar Rob Gronkowski, one of the most visible and recognizable athletes in the league. His popularity (aside from his stellar play on the field), and most importantly his brand, is based on the foundational elements of idiocy, physical attraction, and extemporaneous persona. Slurping down beer bongs and having photo shoots with models certainly fits under the umbrella of sensationalism, just as much as it is vapid and overly dramatized. It’s not hard to ask in this instance, why do we not demand more of our athletes?

Promote yourself in a way to gain monetary success or vocalize your thoughts and opinions in a candid way but potentially lose out on millions of dollars. I believe everyone should take advantage of his or her opportunities as an athlete, and to many that is defined as bringing in the most money in an often short window of time. I also believe that the individuality of the athlete is slowly be drained from sports due to the myriad of constraints created by endorsements, contracts, agents, and the media. Arian Foster embraced who he was as an individual even in the face of scrutiny; while there were times he was controversial, even hated by some for his beliefs, he understood that he had already gained more wealth than many, thus leaving his personality and individuality the only facets left to lose. Similar to anyone reading this, Arian had instances where he misspoke and suffered the repercussions for it, or acted while relying on emotions. It cannot be overstated that these are all central components of what make us human beings. I acknowledge that most of us will never have a spotlight on us similar to his and the challenges that come with it, however, we all face the same fundamental choice to either promote a self-image that is accurate of ourselves, or create one that bears a partial semblance to who we truly are.

In the future of sports the money being thrown around will continue to grow while athletes will continue to face this choice, it is up to their discretion to decide where value is placed in our society. Football is often viewed as a gladiators’ sport, with intensity and violence fueling the publics interest in it; we often forget that the people playing it have external lives just the same as us. Foster is a refreshing reminder that his label as a football player doesn’t define him, that the court of public opinion can’t spurn his vitality. This is kind the individuality that American sports are lacking.

“Everyone should smile. Life really isn’t that serious. We make it hard. The sun rises. The sun sets. We just tend to complicate the process.”-Arian Foster