Former New Orleans Saints player Glenn Foster dies while in custody of deputies in Alabama – USA TODAY
Alabama authorities are investigating the death of an ex-NFL player after being in the custody of Pickens County deputies.
Glenn Foster Jr., 31, was reported dead Monday at a medical facility in Northport, said Senior Trooper Reginal King of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Foster, a Chicago native who played two seasons for the New Orleans Saints, was facing one count of robbery and two second-degree assault charges after an attack at the Pickens County Jail on Sunday.
Foster’s body was released to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for further investigation, King said.
No further information will be released by ALEA until the conclusion of this investigation, King said.
Pickens County Sheriff Todd Hall said that neither he nor his office would be able to provide any additional information until the ALEA investigators release their findings.
WHO IS GLENN FOSTER?Background on the former Saints player who died in police custody
All information pertaining to Foster’s arrest and the events leading up to his death have been turned over to the state, Hall said.
No details were provided to The Tuscaloosa News on what led to Foster, whose address is listed as Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to initially being taken into custody.
According to NOLA.com, Foster was jailed early Saturday morning on counts of reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and attempting to elude police, but he was rebooked the following day on counts of simple assault and robbery.
Court records accused Foster, who retired from the NFL in 2016, of striking an inmate “with the intent to prevent a sheriff’s deputy and correctional officer from performing a lawful duty.”
While being handcuffed, Foster fought against a Pickens County deputy and a correctional officer, injuring the deputy’s nose and hand, court records said.
During an initial appearance hearing before Pickens County District Judge Samuel W. Junkin, Foster “was non-compliant and refused to respond to or answer any questions,” the judge said in an order that denied Foster bail.
“(D)ue to information received from law enforcement regarding the defendant’s behavior both during the arrest and while being held in the county jail, as well as this court’s observation of the defendant’s mental state during the attempted initial appearance, the court is of the opinion that the defendant is not mentally stable and a danger to himself and others,” Junkin said in his bail denial order.
The judge said he intended to file an additional order mental evaluation.
It’s unclear what occurred between Foster’s initial appearance at 1 p.m. Monday and his eventual death in Northport.
The 2013 graduate of the University of Illinois started two years on the Illini defensive line and tallied 84 tackles and 16.5 tackles-for-loss. He was not selected in the 2014 NFL draft, but was later signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent.
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, Foster performed well enough during the 2013 preseason to lead the team in quarterback sacks (four) and quarterback hits (five). He also forced a fumble and, in the process, earned a spot on the regular season roster.
He notched three sacks in 12 games during his rookie year, but was injured during the 2014 season and played in just five games.
Foster was released by the Saints before the 2015 season, but remained in the southeastern Louisiana area to work as a contractor, developer and real estate agent, according to NOLA.com.
He also owned a granite counter operating with stores in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
Reach Jason Morton at jason.morton@tuscaloosanews.com.
