National Football League

Arian Foster's manager once scolded him for spending $37 at Applebee's

Published Feb. 15, 2016 1:26 p.m. ET

Cameron DaSilva

When Arian Foster came into the league in 2009, he was just an undrafted rookie looking for a spot on the Houston Texans roster. Now nearly seven years removed from that point, he's one of the best undrafted players in NFL history.

As you can imagine, his rise to stardom didn't come easy. As a rookie, he didn't have the money he has now after signing a five year, $43.5 million contract in 2012. At one point, he had just $5,000 to his name and had to spend his funds wisely.

There was one instance, however, where he "failed" to do that, according to his business manager. As a rookie, Foster spent $37 on dinner at Applebee's and heard about it after the fact. He shared the story during his interview on Michael Rapaport's "I Am Rapaport" podcast.

"I went to Applebee's one time and spent $37," Foster said. "He called me, 'Yo, what the [hell] is wrong with you, man.' I'm like, 'What do you mean?' He said, 'You just spent $37 on Applebee's. Who do you think you are?'"

Spending $37 dollars on dinner is no longer a problem for Foster, whose contract included more than $20 million in guaranteed money. Now he can treat himself to just about any dinner he'd like. One thing he doesn't do, however, is watch football.

In the same interview with Rapaport, Foster revealed that he no longer watches football. He did as a kid, but since joining the NFL, it isn't a part of his Sunday festivities.

That comes as somewhat of a surprise, given the fact that he's one of the bigger names in the league and has been around for six years. Guys like Tom Brady watch games for scouting purposes, even documenting it on Facebook.

Foster's reasoning, however, is more than just not wanting to sit on the couch for 10 hours on a Sunday.

"I watch zero football. I swear," he said. "Of course, I used to be a super fan growing up. I loved it. But once you see the business side, you watch it differently. I was a Raiders fan growing up. I don’t root for the Raiders anymore, obviously. I don’t root for anybody anymore. I’m pondering entering the last couple, 3-4 years of my career and I’m thinking about what life will be like after football and I’m looking at the game differently. I look at the game more like, ‘I hope these guys come out healthy because they’ve got families.’ It’s not just entertainment to me any more. I see the men and the humans behind it. It’s a viewpoint that not a lot of people get to see. I just don't want the game for entertainment purposes anymore. I do still enjoy the game. I love it, but it’s just hard for me to watch it from a fan’s perspective."