Ramon Foster: Burfict & Bengals Are Fake Tough
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan) – Steelers OL Ramon Foster joined "The Fan Morning Show" in his regular weekly spot on Tuesday to talk about his team emerging from a violent matchup with the Bengals with a much-needed victory.
Foster has been harshly critical of Bengals' linebacker Vontaze Burfict this season, and he hasn't changed his tune following Sunday's matchup.
Foster took particular issue with the way that Burfict appeared to target Ben Roethlisberger's ankle while making a tackle. To him, that kind of shot is typical of Burfict.
"Everybody that I've talked to that's played against [Burfict] doesn't believe he's good for the game," Foster said. "You look at the stuff he's done, I mean, it's not just our quarterback. Heck, he's done it to Cam [Newton], he's done it to other players, he's done it to tight ends - the ankle twisting, the aiming at the ankles to, like, dive at guys. I saw him a few times on film just straight up dive in and, like, try to get at a guy's knees."
Foster said that Burfict's behavior isn't the only player on the Bengals that takes shots at opponents.
"As everyone knows, we really dislike the Baltimore Ravens, but I'm not out there trying to take them out on a play, or like, cut them at the knee to where the knee buckles, or something like that. I think [Burfict] has that kind of agenda whenever he's playing, and it's not just him, it's a couple guys on that team that have that mentality, too," Foster said.
He's not sure where it comes from, but he feels that the Bengals have been on a mission to take down the Steelers this season.
"I was telling some of [the Bengals players]... I don't know what changed in a year from when we played y'all to now, but you guys [are] not even acting the same," Foster said. "It's not even just football stuff. Some of the guys are just saying personal stuff, as far as, I'll see you in the offseason, and I'm smarter than this - I'm like, dude, I only knew one gangster in the NFL, and that was Aaron Hernandez, and you want to go down that road, we'll see about it."
Foster is getting tired of Burfict's attitude and the way that the Bengals have behaved lately.
"I hate fake tough guys," Foster said. "You've got to be smarter than the guy that's being an idiot like that."
He took particular issue with Sunday's pregame brawl.
"Anybody that's out there trying to play like they're a gangster, and they're tough, and they're hard," Foster said. "You went to college and you maintained a good GPA to continue to play football...leave the street stuff for the people who actually didn't have a life and don't play on Sundays. That's all that was, man. A guy that wanted to be tough."
The interview can be heard here:
Foster joins "The Fan Morning Show" every Tuesday at 8 a.m.
