SANTA CLARA — On Friday morning GM John Lynch tweeted, “Fired up to have Reuben join our team. Not only can he light up a ball carrier but his personality lights up a room.”
Lynch wasn’t kidding.
Foster’s introductory press conference featured a two minute long story about him hanging up on the Saints Thursday night, right before the 49ers traded back into the first round with the Seahawks — and the auditorium erupted in laughter. Solomon Thomas was polite and gave solid answers, but it was Foster who stole the show recalling his phone call with New Orleans, who thought they had picked him at No. 32.
It’s a long-winded story. Here’s the transcription.
When John Lynch called you yesterday, you, according to John, told him you were going to the Saints. What did you say? Had the Saints called you and told you that they were picking you at 32?
Foster: “They actually did. It was funny. That’s a funny story. That was a funny story.”
Tell the story please.
Foster: “The 30th and 31st pick were about to come up, so I get a call from the New Orleans Saints and they say, ‘Are you in Louisiana, Baton Rouge?’ I said, ‘No, sir. I’m in Miami, Florida.’ ‘Is your woman around?’ I’m like, ‘Hold up, why do you want to speak to my woman?’ They said, ‘Give her the phone.’ So, I give her the phone and all I hear is, ‘Yeah. No. Yes, sir. Yeah, we’re in Miami. Yes, sir.’ And, I’m like, what are they talking about? That’s when a click had come in and she pulled the phone out like this and I said, ‘Oh, that’s San Jose.’ So, I clicked over for the San Francisco 49ers and I picked up and said, ‘Hello,’ while the New Orleans Saints are still on the line. But, I wanted to be a 49er so bad. It was funny. It was crazy.”
Did the Saints tell you that they had picked you?
Foster: “They wanted to pick me, but it was too late. They were the 31st pick. They traded down, so they couldn’t. I told John Lynch, coach John Lynch that it was too late. I said, ‘Man, coach you’re the 34th pick. It’s too late. The New Orleans Saints are about to get me.”
What did the Saints say to your girlfriend?
Foster: “My girl was on the phone with the New Orleans Saints.”
What did they tell her?
Foster: “Take your time and just really scope him and be there for him. Because, she’s from Louisiana, Baton Rouge and New Orleans is just a 45-minute drive. So, they wanted her there with her family and be like a home, welcoming, home away from home.”
They were certain they were going to pick you. Is that what you’re saying?
Foster: “Yeah, they were certain they were going to pick me.”
They were welcoming you and your girlfriend to the family, essentially, when John called on the other line?
Foster: “Yeah.”
So was it awkward at all when you clicked back on the other line?
Foster: “No. I hung up.”
The writing doesn’t do it justice. Check out the video from Bay Area News Group’s Cam Inman.
Reuben Foster was on phone with #Saints (32nd pick) when #49ers called to say he was theirs at 31. Here he tells how story goes: pic.twitter.com/RW1SaREUa0
— Cam Inman (@CamInman) April 28, 2017