Former New Orleans Saints defensive lineman Glenn Foster Jr. died while in custody on Monday night after he was arrested in Alabama on Sunday morning, the Pickens County coroner's office has confirmed. He was 31. Coroner Chad Harless said that his office was in possession of Foster's body and that an autopsy was pending. As of now, the cause of his death remains unclear.
Foster's sudden death has left the entire sporting community in shock. It is still not known under what circumstances he died, as police haven't divulged much. It is also not known if the death was natural and if police is planning to launch an investigation into the incident.
Mysterious Death
Jail records show Foster was arrested Sunday in Reform, Alabama, a small town with a population of around 1,600 at around 12:30 am and taken into custody. He was initially booked on charges of reckless endangerment and resisting arrest by "attempt to elude."
However, record shows that he was released at around 3:14 pm on Sunday but was book again two minutes later at 3:16 pm. This time his charges were adjusted to three counts of simple assault and one count of third-degree robbery, the jail records show. That record shows a release time of 2:25 pm on Tuesday, a day after his death.
Fosters' arrest, release and once again getting arrested followed by his eventual death raises a lot of questions on the circumstances under which he died. The Pickens County Sheriff's Office, which oversees the Pickens County Detention Center, referred all questions to the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation, an arm of the Alabama Highway Patrol.
Unanswered Questions
It is not known if Foster was suffering from any disease or was unwell at the time of his arrest. It is also not clear if Pickens was in custody when he died. According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Foster's grieving wife and parents were preparing a statement as of Tuesday afternoon and are also yet to make an official statement on his sudden death.
The police haven't shared much except that an autopsy will be conducted which will confirm the cause of his death. Pickens County coroner Chad Harless told Nola.com that he could not comment further, as the results are under investigation.
Foster was an undrafted free agent when he was signed by New Orleans Saints in 2013 and played for two seasons. Prior to that, he had played college football at Illinois. He was born in Chicago and played football at Chicago's Mount Carmel High School.
In recent years, he was the owner of a granite countertop business with retail stores on Magazine Street in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Interestingly, not many knew about his Saturday night arrest and his eventual death on Monday. Most became aware of his death after Illinois Rep. Kim Buckner posted a tribute on Twitter. "No words right now. Rest Powerfully, Little Brother," said Rep. Kam Buckner of the Illinois State House's 26th District. "You left your mark everywhere you went. Glenn Foster, we love you bruh."
Former teammate Terron Armstead also reacted to the news on social media. "I really can't find the words to properly express. Rest In Peace Glenn Foster, you'll be missed bro!" Armstead wrote.
