Michiko Araki
Behind the scenes of a well-oiled offence, there’s a position that shies away from the spotlight, but is arguably just as crucial as a quarterback.
As a centre, there’s a lot more pressure being put on you at every play than most people realize. From surveying the playing field and making the first line call, snapping the ball, and performing blocking duties, you could say that a centre has many shoes to fill, and it takes someone with a lot of confidence and leadership qualities to fill those shoes. It’s easy to tell that this position isn’t for the faint of heart.
Luckily for first year Lion Jason Foster, the pressure and the challenge is what drives him to work hard and succeed in his starting role this season.
“It’s sometimes overwhelming but I love it,” says Jason. “I love the ability to call all the schemes and all the directions on where we need to go. I love taking charge, I love having that confidence and being able to tell the guys where we’re going. Stepping up, it’s a lot of pressure, but I love pressure. So it feels good.”
Coming from the NFL after a short stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jason not only had to get used to a brand new team and establish trust and camaraderie among the guys on the o-line, but also had to learn how to play under different rules. The combination would be intimidating for most people, but Jason has stepped up to the challenge and has happily taken on his brand new role.
“One thing that you don’t know [is] how guys who are in their first year are going to respond and react [to the pressure],” says Doug Malone, Offensive Line coach, about players being put in a position of leadership. “But in our room, he’s become one of our leaders – he’s very vocal and outspoken that way, so it’s easy for him to fit that [role]. He’s done a great job as far as being a leader, but that’s what you want out of a centre because he has to make the calls to get us in the proper fronts.”
Although Coach Malone speaks highly of him, Jason admits it wasn’t always easy being able to command the attention of the o-line.
“It was challenging at first, trying to break the ice with some of the guys,” he laughs. “But like anything, it takes time, it takes time to trust. They’re starting to come around, they’re starting to trust me and I trust every single one of those guys that they’re going to do their job, and they do an unbelievable job, all 4 of them. I’m very happy that they’ve come around and started trusting me and believing in me [to] lead them.”
Aside from gaining the trust of his teammates, getting used to his role at centre has been a learning experience for Jason, who played left tackle for all four years of college at Rhode Island. In the NFL, Jason expanded his playing horizons, getting a chance to play tackle, guard, and centre. So, which position did he find the most difficult?
“Center is the hardest position [for me],” he says. “Physically, it’s not as taxing as guard and tackle, because you have help from the guards. But mentally, it’s the toughest position besides quarterback – because you have to know just as much as the quarterback, you have to see the whole field. You gotta tell everyone where they’re going, you have to be a general out there, and they have to trust you. So mentally, it’s definitely the toughest position [that I’ve played].”
Even though he has been put into a difficult position as a first year, Jason never shows any signs of distress on the field. In fact, even with the pressure, Jason keeps on smiling – every day at practice, and even on game days.
“I’m always like that,” he laughs. “I’m always cheerful and happy. Always happy, always positive, always with a smile on my face. Life’s too short, you never know when it’s the last play, so you gotta have fun every single down.”
With that positivity, it’s no wonder that Jason has won over his teammates in his new leadership role on the Lions this season.