Alabama LB Reuben Foster not invited to draft after incident

ByKATHERINE TERRELL
April 25, 2017, 1:16 PM

— -- Alabama linebacker Reuben Foster was not invited to attend the 2017 NFL draft because of an incident at the scouting combine in March, according to a league source.

The NFL declined to comment Tuesday.

Foster is a potential top-10 pick in the draft, which will begin Thursday at 8 p.m. ET in Philadelphia.

Foster was sent home from the combine after getting into an argument with a hospital worker during medical checks. The NFL would only say Foster was sent home for "personal reasons." Foster later sent a letter to all 32 teams apologizing for the incident.

He also tested positive at the NFL combine for a diluted urine sample, which he said was a result of excessive water intake while he was trying to get over an illness.

"This is something that's going to get out," Foster told NFL.com. "I don't make excuses. I'm a real dude. I try to be a good person. ... I just hope the coaches understand, and that's all I can hope and pray for."

Foster was a unanimous first-team All-American during his final season at Alabama and also won the Butkus Award, which is given to the nation's best college linebacker.