Honors & Awards
» NU Offensive Lineman of the Year (2018)
» Team Captain (2017 & 2018)
» Senior CLASS Award Nominee (2018)
» Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten (2017, Coaches & Media)
» Academic All-Big Ten (2016, 2017, 2018)
» Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award (2018)
» Eight-Time Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll
» Nebraska Heart & Soul Award (2019)
» Nebraska Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award (2017)
» Brook Berringer Citizenship Team (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
» Tom Osborne Citizenship Team (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
2018 (Senior)
A senior captain, Jerald Foster played his final season as a graduate student, starting all 12 games at left guard. Foster, who started the final 23 games of his career at left guard helped Nebraska post the second-highest improvement in rushing yards per game from the 2017 to 2018 season. The Huskers averaged 456.2 yards per game in 2018 - the program's highest total in six years - while producing more than 560 yards of offense in four games. Foster and the offensive line helped Nebraska post its most yards (659 against Minnesota) and highest point total (53 against Illinois) in a Big Ten Conference game since the Huskers joined the league in 2011. Individually, four different Huskers had a 100-yard rushing game in 2018 and three different Huskers had a 100-yard receiving game, while true freshman quarterback Adrian Martinez rewrote the Nebraska freshman record books while setting a school record with seven 300-yard total offense games. Nebraska also produced its first 1,000-yard receiver in school history in 2018 and had its first 1,000-yard rusher since 2014.
One of only 11 two-time captain in school history, Foster helped a pair of Huskers each rush for 100 yards in their Nebraska debuts against Colorado. He then helped pave the way for Nebraska to total 582 yards of offense against Purdue and 518 yards at No. 16 Wisconsin. Nebraska came up just short of 500 yards of total offense at Northwestern before Foster helped the Huskers total 659 yards against Minnesota, the Huskers' highest output since 2014 and most yards in a conference game since 2007. Foster's blocking helped the Huskers have three 100-yard rushers against the Gophers. He also helped Nebraska gain 450 yards at No. 8 Ohio State. Nebraska then totaled 606 yards of offense the next week against Illinois, setting a school record with a seventh straight game gaining 450 or more yards.
Away from the field, Foster was one of 30 football student-athletes nationwide selected as a candidate for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award. The award honors the football senior student-athlete who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. Ten finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award will be announced in November.
2017 (Junior)
Foster earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten accolades while holding down the starting left guard spot for all 12 games. One of two Husker offensive linemen to start every game in 2017, Foster also served as a team captain. With Foster anchoring the left side of the line, Nebraska ranked second in the Big Ten in passing (277.5 yards per game) and posted the fifth-highest passing total in school history (3,330 yards). The line helped Tanner Lee throw for 3,143 yards in his only season as a Husker, while Stanley Morgan Jr. set a school record with 986 receiving yards and JD Spielman posted the first 200-yard receiving game in school history against No. 9 Ohio State.
2016 (Sophomore)
Foster suffered a knee injury during fall camp that originally was believed to sideline him for the season. Foster ultimately returned to start the final four games at left guard. Foster's play helped Nebraska rank among the nation's top units in protecting the passer.
2015 (Redshirt Freshman)
Foster played in all 13 games, primarily as a member of Nebraska's PAT and field goal units. He also saw limited action as a reserve at offensive guard.
2014 (Redshirt)
Foster redshirted and worked on the scout team offensive line. He briefly moved to defensive tackle when injuries hit the position, but switched back to offense.
Before Nebraska (Southeast HS)
Foster was one of three in-state signees in Nebraska's 2014 recruiting class. He was a dominant two-way player for Coach Ryan Gottula at Lincoln Southeast. As a senior, Foster earned first-team All-Nebraska honors from the Omaha World-Herald and first-team Super State accolades from the Lincoln Journal Star, as he helped the Knights to a Class A state playoff appearance. Foster was a dominant blocker on offense, while recording 53 tackles and three sacks from his defensive line spot.
Foster was also a first-team All-Nebraska and first-team Super State pick as a junior when he helped Southeast to a 9-2 record and trip to the Class A quarterfinals. Foster earned first-team Super State honors as a sophomore offensive lineman. His dominant effort on the offensive line helped Southeast to the Class A state championship and a 12-1 record.
Foster was rated as the top prospect in the state of Nebraska by Rivals.com, and among the nation's top 25 guards. He only visited Nebraska, but had offers from a number of schools, including Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Iowa State, Missouri, UCLA, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.
Personal
The son of Jesse and Charlesette Foster, Jerald was born on Sept. 14, 1995. He is an eight-time member of the the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll. Foster earned one of Nebraska's highest honors in community service as a 2019 Heart & Soul Award winner. He claimed a prestigious Sam Foltz Hero 27 Leadership Award in 2017, and received an Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award in 2018.
Foster was a five-time member of the Brook Berringer Citizenship Team and the Tom Osborne Citizenship Team for his extensive community outreach work. Foster has volunteered his time with the Nebraska Football Road Race, School is Cool Week, Make-A-Wish, NFL Fuel Up, People’s City Mission and numerous hospital and school outreach events. Jerald’s older brother, Trey, was a four-year letterwinner at tight end for NU, finishing his career in 2016.