Texans' Foster has secret weapon in older brother

By foxsports
Published

It turns out four-time Pro Bowl running back Arian Foster has a secret weapon - a second set of eyes that's always helping him be at his best.

Foster's older brother, Abdul Foster, has been coaching up his younger sibling since Arian was 7-years -old. Now, 31-year-old Abdul Foster owns an elite fitness gym in Houston called IX Innovations and dedicates much of his time to helping his younger brother perform at a superior level.

This past off season, the Foster brothers focused on 28-year-old Arian's speed, especially in the open field. The key: strengthening and engaging Arian's core.

"I would say that's the biggest change in his game recently," Abdul Foster said. "He also has an outstanding football IQ.  He's matured a lot as a person. He's willing to talk about things a lot of other people aren't. I really admire his ability to allow people to see football players as human beings with thought, feelings and mistakes."   

Abdul Foster closely studies his younger brother during every game, whether it's from the stands or on the television. Ever since college, Abdul has sent halftime messages to Arian about what personal adjustments he needs to make.

Sometimes it's about giving his brother an extra set of eyes to help him decipher and prepare for what's coming.

"So much goes into being a running back," Abdul Foster said. "It's so hard to have a good game if the offensive line isn't having a good game. Sometimes him being so close to the line of scrimmage can be a disadvantage, so I can alert him to whether he should line up a few steps forward or back... or be ready for them to tackle high vs low."

The personal trainer in Abdul Foster also comes out quite often.

"The body is a hot and cold thing," Abdul Foster said. "Sometimes I can watch the flow of the game versus how Arian is moving. I might advise him to stretch his abs better at halftime because he needs to be able to move laterally more, or perhaps to warm up and activate a part of his body that hasn't been used in awhile. That extra edge can mean the difference between a yard - or two or three."

Several of Arian Foster's Texans teammates also train with Abdul including Andre Johnson, Chris Myers and Duane Brown.