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Arianism
History and theology
Arius · Acacians Anomoeanism Arian controversy First Council of Nicaea Lucian of Antioch Gothic Christianity
Arian leaders
Acacius of Caesarea Aëtius Demophilus of Constantinople Eudoxius of Antioch Eunomius of Cyzicus Eusebius of Caesarea Eusebius of Nicomedia Eustathius of Sebaste George of Laodicea Ulfilas
Other Arians
Asterius the Sophist Auxentius of Milan Auxentius of Durostorum Constantius II Wereka and Batwin Fritigern · Alaric I Artemius · Odoacer Theodoric the Great
Modern semi-Arians
Samuel Clarke Isaac Newton William Whiston
Opponents
Peter of Alexandria Achillas of Alexandria Alexander of Alexandria Hosius of Cordoba Athanasius of Alexandria Paul I of Constantinople
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The Arian controversy describes several controversies between the Christian Church fathers Arius and Athanasius related to Christology which divided the Christian church from before the Council of Nicaea in 325 to after the Council of Constantinople in 381. The most important of these controversies concerned the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ, with Arius defending the nontrinitarian position, while Athanasius supported the trinitarian position.

History[link]

This section requires expansion.

Beginnings[link]

The early history of the controversy must be pieced together from about 35 documents found in various sources. The Trinitarian historian Socrates of Constantinople reports that Arius first became controversial under the bishop Achillas of Alexandria, when he made the following syllogism: he said, "If the Father begat the Son, he that was begotten had a beginning of existence: and from this it is evident, that there was a time when the Son was not. It therefore necessarily follows, that he had his substance from nothing".

Bishop Alexander of Alexandria was criticised for his slow reaction against Arius. Like his predecessor Dionysius, he has been charged with vacillation. The question that Arius raised had been left unsettled two generations previously. Therefore Alexander allowed the controversy to continue until he felt that it had become dangerous to the peace of the Church. Then he called a council of bishops and sought their advice. Once they decided against Arius, Alexander delayed no longer. He deposed Arius from his office, and excommunicated both him and his supporters.

The Council of Nicaea (325)[link]

Ariminum, Seleucia, and Constantinople (358-360)[link]

In 358, the emperor Constantius II requested two councils, one of the western bishops at Ariminum and one of the eastern bishops at Nicomedia.^[1][2]

In 359, the western council met at Ariminum. Ursacius of Singidunum and Valens of Mursa declared that the Son was like the father "according to the scriptures," following a new (Homoian) creed drafted at Sirmium (359). Many of the most outspoken supporters of the Creed of Nicaea walked out. The council, including some supporters of the older creed, adopted the newer creed.^[1][2] After the council, Pope Liberius condemned the creed of Ariminum, while his rival, Felix, supported it.^[3]

An earthquake struck Nicomedia, killing the bishop Cecropius of Nicomedia, and in 359 the eastern council met at Seleucia instead. The council was bitterly divided, and procedurally irregular, and the two parties met separately and reached opposing decisions. Basil of Ancyra and his party declared that the Son was of similar substance to the Father, following a (Homoiousian) Creed of Antioch from 341, and deposed the opposing party. Acacius of Caesarea declared that the Son was like the Father, introducing a new (Homoian) creed.^[3][4] The Son was begotten - generated from God's own substance.

Constantius requested a third council, at Constantinople (359), of both the eastern and western bishops, to resolve the split at Seleucia. Acacius now declared that the Son was like the Father "according to the scriptures." Basil of Ancyra, Eustathius of Sebaste, and their party again declared that the Son was of similar substance to the Father, as in the majority decision at Seleucia. Maris of Chalcedon, Eudoxius of Antioch, and the deacons Aëtius and Eunomius declared that the Son was of a dissimilar substance from the Father.^[5][6] The Heteroousians defeated the Homoiousians in an initial debate, but Constantius banished Aëtius,^[5] after which the council, including Maris and Eudoxius,^[6] agreed to the homoian creed of Ariminum with minor modifications.^[5][6]

After the Council of Constantinople, the homoian bishop Acacius deposed and banished several homoiousian bishops, including Macedonius I of Constantinople, Basil, Eustathius, Eleusius of Cyzicus, Dracontius of Pergamum, Neonas of Seleucia, Sophronius of Pompeiopolis, Elpidius of Satala and Cyril of Jerusalem.^[7][8] At the same time, Acacius also deposed and banished the Anomoean deacon Aëtius.^[7]

In 360, Acacius appointed Eudoxius of Antioch to replace Macedonius and Athanasius of Ancyra to replace Basil, as well as Onesimus of Nicomedia to replace Cecropius, who had died in the earthquake at Nicomedia.^[7]

The controversy in the 360s[link]

In 361, Constantius died and Julian the Apostate became sole Roman emperor. Julian demanded the restoration of several pagan temples which Christians had seized or destroyed.^[9] According to Philostorgius, pagans killed George of Laodicea, bishop of Alexandria, allowing Athanasius of Alexandria to reclaim the see.^[10]

The Council of Constantinople (381)[link]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

Councils involved[link]

This section requires expansion.

Several church councils were largely, if not primarily, concerned with the Arian controversy. These include:

• Synods of Antioch 264-269, councils rejected the term homoousios
• Egyptian Council of Alexandria (318 or 319).^[11][12]
• Council of the party of Alexander of Alexandria at Nicomedia (c. 325).^[13]
• Council of the party of Alexander of Alexandria at Antioch (325).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Nicaea (more than 300 bishops) (325).^[12][14][15]
• Church trial of Eustathius of Antioch at Antioch (c. 330).^[16][17]
• Council of Nicomedia (250 bishops) (c. 335).^[16]
• Church trial of Athanasius of Alexandria at Tyre (335).^[12][18][19]
• Council of Jerusalem (335).^[12][20]
• Church trial of Marcellus of Ancyra at Constantinople (336).^[12][21]
• Church trial of Athanasius of Alexandria at Antioch (338).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Council of Antioch (Council of the Dedication) (90 bishops) (341).^[12][22]
• Another Council of Antioch (341).^[12][23]
• Western Council of Rome (342).^{[citation needed]}
• Mostly Western Council of Sardica (342 or 343).^[12][24]
• Eastern Council of Philippopolis (342 or 343).^[12][25]
• Eastern Council of Antioch (344).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Regional Council of Jerusalem.^[26]
• Mostly Western Council of Mediolanum (345).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Mostly Western Council of Mediolanum (347).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Council of Sirmium (347).^{[citation needed]}
• Egyptian Council of Alexandria (c. 351).^[27]
• Council of Sirmium and church trial of Photinus at Sirmium (351).^[12][28]
• Council of Arelate (353).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Mostly Western Council of Mediolanum (more than 300 bishops) (355).^[12][29]
• Council of Sirmium (357).^[12][30]
• Council of Ancyra (358).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Fourth Council of Sirmium (359).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Western Council of Ariminum (about 300 or more than 400 bishops) (359).^[2][12][31]
• Eastern Council of Seleucia (about 160 bishops) (359).^[12][31][32]
• Council of the Homoians at Nike (c. 359).^[2]
• First Council of Constantinople (360) (360).^[6][12][33]
• Church trial of Eunomius of Cyzicus at Constantinople (c. 360).^[34]
• Church trial of Eustathius of Sebaste at Gangra.^[35]
• Council of the Anomoeans in Constantinople (c. 361).^[36]
• Local council at Constantinople (c. 361).^[36]
• Council of Antioch (361).^{[citation needed][12]}
• Council of the Anomoeans in Constantinople (c. 363).^[37]
• Council of the party of Theodosius of Lydia (c. 363 or 364).^[38]
• Local council at Antioch (c. 381).^[39]
• Council of Constantinople (381 or 383).^[12]
• Council of Toledo (Of the churches in Hispania) (589).

Issues[link]

This section requires expansion.

The Greek word Logos (λόγος) is traditionally translated as “Word.” French translations sometimes use “Verb” which has a dynamic quality. The English “Message” or “Expression of the Mind” may also be appropriate attempts to convey the nuance of the Greek concept. The Jewish-Alexandrian theologian and philosopher Philo wrote extensively about the Logos in ways that are reminiscent of New Testament theology.^{[citation needed]} For instance, his teaching that “For the Logos of the living God being the bond of every thing, as has been said before, holds all things together, and binds all the parts, and prevents them from being loosened or separated” echoes Colossians 1:17.^{[citation needed]}

Personhood of the Holy Spirit[link]

Dominating the secular intellectual milieu in which the Cappadocians lived was Platonism, which, when mixed with unreflective Christian theology, bred Arianism, the most prominent heresy at the dawn of the fourth century. According to Platonism, the One or “first cause” radiated immaterial and material entities in a hierarchical, categorized way. If this conceptualization had remained unchecked, the Christian God could have been given a Platonic veneer: the Father as the “first cause,” the Son or Logos as the primary emanation from the One, and the Spirit as a further emanation of the Logos. Arianism held that the Son of God was a being created by the First Person and could not be considered divine, an attractive option incorporating both classical Greek thought and the historical event of the person of Jesus. The Cappadocians vehemently argued against Arianism for its inequality among the divine Persons: “This was the disease of Arius, who gave his name to the madness, and who threw into confusion and brought to ruin a great part of the Church. Without honoring the Father, he dishonored what proceeded from Him by maintaining unequal degrees in the Godhead. But we recognize one glory of the Father, the equality of the Only-begotten, and one glory of the Son, the equality of the Holy Spirit. And we believe that to subordinate anything of the Three is to destroy the whole” (Gregory of Nazianzus, On St. Basil, par. 30.). The Cappadocian insistence on equality among the divine Persons was also a solid refutation of the hierarchical ordering of the cosmos found in Platonism.

According to a belief related to Arianism, Anomoianism, the Spirit was subjugated to the Father and the Son. As time went on, arguing for the divinity of the Spirit became increasingly more important to the Cappadocians. Nicaea left rather open the question of the divinity of the Spirit; belief “in the Holy Spirit” was all the bishops had stated. Advocating for the divinity of the Holy Spirit was crucial for the Cappadocians exactly because of their insistence on the unity and equality of the Three: “The central thrust of Basil’s positive argument in favor of the Spirit’s deity is the non-separability of the three persons and the inference from this that they are all three worthy of this same honor” Anthony Meredith, The Cappadocians (Crestwood, New York: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1995), 32).

The Cappadocians’ insistence on three co-equal divine Persons, however, subjected them to accusations of tritheism. The extreme opposite, Sabellianism, also widespread at that time, conflated the three Persons into one and saw no distinctions among them whatsoever. The theologians, therefore, had to articulate the unity of the divine essence as well as the distinctness of Persons in the Godhead.

As time went on and in response to continual controversy, the Cappadocians’ theological writings increased in nuance and also in clarity. What emerged from them was the orthodox Christian belief that God is a unity of Three distinct yet inseparable and equal Persons. The Cappadocian theologians worked out this theology by establishing the distinctness of the divine Persons, the communitarian relationships of the Three, and the unity of their divine essence.

Other issues[link]

Several other issues arose at the same time as the Arian controversy proper.

Dates of Passover and Easter[link]

In Christianity, Easter is the Sunday after Passover. However, it was debated whether to follow Jewish practice for the calculation of the date of Passover. By the 4th century, the most common Christian methods had diverged from the most common Jewish ones.^[40]

Marriage[link]

Many held that presbyters and bishops should not marry, and some held that presbyters and bishops who had already married, and their wives, should refrain from sex.^[41]

Eustathius of Sebaste condemned marriage entirely; he also excluded married presbyters from communion, forbade married Christians from praying at home while encouraging unmarried ones to hold services at home; he was deposed for this and his doctrines were condemned.^[35]

Sides[link]

This section requires expansion.

Homoousian[link]

The Homoousians taught that the Son is of the same substance as the Father, i.e. both uncreated. The Sabellian form had been condemned as heresy in the 3rd century. The Athanasian form would be declared orthodox at the Council of Constantinople in 383, and has become the basis of most of modern trinitarianism.^[42]

• Alexander, bishop of Alexandria (313-326).^[43]
• Hosius, bishop of Cordoba (?-359).^[44]
• Eusebius, bishop of Caesarea (c. 313-339).^[45]
• Eustathius, (possibly Sabellian) bishop of Antioch (c. 325-330).^[46]
• Cyrus, (possibly Sabellian) bishop of Beroe.^[46]
• Athanasius (Athanasian) bishop of Alexandria (326-373, later rival of Gregory of Cappadocia and then George of Laodicea).^[47]
• Paul, bishop of Constantinople (336-351, later rival of Eusebius of Nicomedia and then Macedonius I of Constantinople).^[48]
• Julius, bishop of Rome (337-352).^[23]
• Asclepas, bishop of Gaza.^[49]
• Lucius, bishop of Adrianople (?-351).^[50]
• Maximus, bishop of Jerusalem (333-350).^[51]
• Paulinus, bishop of Treves, who supported Athanasius of Alexandria at Milan.^[29]
• Dionysius, bishop of Alba, who supported Athanasius of Alexandria at Milan.^[29]
• Eusebius, bishop of Vercelli (340-371), who supported Athanasius of Alexandria at Milan.^[29]
• Angelius, (Novatian) bishop of Constantinople.^[52]

• Gregory of Nazianzus^{[citation needed]}
• Gregory of Elvira^{[citation needed]}
• Lucifer, bishop of Cagliari.^{[citation needed]}
• Hilary, bishop of Poitiers (c. 353-367).^{[citation needed]}
• Servatius, bishop of Tongeren.^{[citation needed]}

Marcellus of Ancyra and Photinus of Sirmium[link]

This article is missing information about Eusebius' criticisms of Marcellus' theology, Athanasius' defense of Marcellus, and modern scholarly research on these figures. This concern has been noted on the talk page where whether or not to include such information may be discussed. (March 2008)

According to the historian Socrates of Constantinople, Marcellus of Ancyra and Photinus of Sirmium taught "that Christ was a mere man."^[53] Their opponents associated the teachings of Marcellus of Ancyra and Photinus of Sirmium with those of Sabellius and Paul of Samosata, which had been widely rejected before the controversy.^[54]

• Marcellus, bishop of Ancyra (?-336 and c. 343-c. 374) and critic of Asterius.^[55]
• Photinus, bishop of Sirmium (?-351) and in exile (351-376); according to Socrates of Constantinople and Sozomen, Photinus was a follower of Marcellus.^[56]

• In 336, a church trial at Constantinople deposed Marcellus and condemned his doctrines.^[57]
• Pope Julius I supported Marcellus and called for his restoration.^[23]
• In 342 or 343, the mostly Western Council of Sardica restored Marcellus, while the mostly Eastern Council of Philippopolis sustained his removal.^[58]
• Under pressure from his co-Emperor Constans, Constantius II initially backed the decision of Sardica, but after Constans' death, reversed course.^[59]
• In 351,^{[citation needed]} a church trial at the Council of Sirmium deposed Photinus and condemned his teachings.^[60]
• The Macrostich condemned the teachings of Marcellus and Photinus.^[61]

Homoiousian[link]

The Homoiousian school taught that the Son is of a similar substance to the Father.^[62][63]

• Basil of Ancyra, bishop of Ancyra (336-360).^[64][65]
• Macedonius, (Macedonian) bishop of Constantinople (342-346 and 351-360).^[66][67]
• George of Laodicea, bishop of Alexandria (356-361, rival of Athanasius of Alexandria).^[64][68]
• Eudoxius, bishop of Germanicia (?-358), Antioch (358-359), and Constantinople (360-370), who supported the Macrostich.^[69][70]
• Martyrius, who supported the Macrostich.^[61]
• Macedonius, bishop of Mopsuestia, who supported the Macrostich.^[61]
• Mark, bishop of Arethusa, who wrote the Creed of Sirmium of 351.^[71]
• Cyril, (Macedonian) bishop of Jerusalem (350-386).^[72]
• Marathonius, (Macedonian) bishop of Nicomedia (c. 351-?).^[73]
• Eleusius, (Macedonian) bishop of Cyzicus (c. 351-360).^[64][74]
• Sophronius, (Macedonian) bishop of Pompeiopolis (?-360).^[75]
• Dracontius, bishop of Pergamum (?-360).^[8]
• Neonas, bishop of Seleucia (?-360).^[8]
• Elpidius, bishop of Satala (?-360).^[8]
• Eustathius, (Macedonian) bishop of Sebastia.^[64][76]
• Annianus of Antioch.^[4]
• Sabinus, Macedonian bishop of Heraclea.^[77]

Homoian[link]

The Homoians taught that the Son is similar to the Father, either "in all things" or "according to the scriptures," without speaking of substance.^[63] Several members of the other schools, such as Hosius of Cordoba and Aëtius, also accepted certain Homoian formulae.^[78]

• Ursacius, initially homoiousian, then homoousian, and later homoian bishop of Singidunum, who had opposed Athanasius.^[79]
• Valens, initially homoiousian, then homoousian, and later homoian bishop of Mursa, who had opposed Athanasius.^[79]
• Germinius.^[2]
• Auxentius (d. 374), bishop of Milan.^[2]
• Demophilus, bishop of Beraea (?-370) and Constantinople (370-380).^[80][81]
• Gaius.^[2]
• Acacius, bishop of Caesarea (340-366).^[82]

Heteroousian[link]

The Heteroousians taught that the Son is of a different substance from the Father, i.e. created. Arius had taught this early in the controversy, and Aëtius would teach the later Anomoean form.^[83][84]

• Arius, presbyter in Alexandria.^[85]
• Theophilus the Indian, who later supported Aëtius.^[86]
• Aëtius, who founded the Anomoean tradition, later bishop (361-?).^[36][87]
• Theodulus, (Anomoean) bishop of Chaeretapa (?-c. 363) and Palestine (c. 363-c. 379).^[3][88]
• Eunomius, (Anomoean) bishop of Cyzicus (360-361) and exiled bishop (361-c. 393).^[87][89]
• Paemenius, (Anomoean) bishop of Constantinople, (c. 363, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch).^[37]
• Candidus, (Anomoean) bishop of Lydia, (c. 363-?).^[37]
• Arrianus, (Anomoean) bishop of Ionia, (c. 363-?).^[37]
• Florentius, (Anomoean) bishop of Constantinople, (c. 363-?, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch).^[37]
• Thallus, (Anomoean) bishop of Lesbos, (c. 363-?, at the same time as Eudoxius of Antioch).^[37]
• Euphronius, (Anomoean) bishop of Galatia, the Black Sea and Cappadocia, (c. 363-?).^[37]
• Julian, (Anomoean) bishop of Cilicia, (c. 363-?).^[37]
• Serras, Stephen, and Heliodorus, (Anomoean) bishops of Egypt, (c. 363-?).^[37]
• Philostorgius, (Anomoean) historian.

Other critics of the Creed of Nicaea[link]

Many critics of the "Nicene" Creed cannot be clearly associated with one school, often due to lack of sources, or due to contradictions between sources.

• Secundus, bishop of Ptolemais, who supported Arius at Nicaea.^[40][90][91]
• Theonus, bishop of Marmarica, who supported Arius at Nicaea.^[40][90][91]
• Eusebius, bishop of Berytus, Nicomedia (?-325 and 328-338) and Constantinople (338-341, rival of Paul I of Constantinople), who supported Arius at Nicaea.^[90][92]
• Theognis, bishop of Nicaea, who supported Arius at Nicaea.^[90][93]
• Maris, bishop of Chalcedon, who supported Arius at Nicaea.^[40][94]
• Eusebius, (possibly Homoiousian, possibly Sabellian) bishop of Emesa (c. 339 or 341).^[95]
• Gregory of Cappadocia, bishop of Alexandria (339-346, rival of Athanasius of Alexandria).^[96]
• Narcissus, bishop of Neronias.^[27]
• Stephanus, bishop of Antioch (342-344).^[27]
• Leontius, bishop of Antioch (344-358), who also taught Aetius.^[97][98]
• Patrophilus of Scythopolis.^[52]

• Asterius (d. c. 341), who, according to Socrates of Constantinople, considered Jesus as example of the power of God, and according to Philostorgius, defended the Homoiousian tradition.^[21][99]
• Athanasius of Anazarbus, who taught Aetius.^[100]
• Wulfila (d. 383), first bishop of the Goths (341?-c.383), and Bible translator, who agreed to the Homoian formula at Constantinople.^[6][101]
• Wereka and Batwin, papa and bilaifs respectively, and Gothic martyrs.
• Auxentius of Durostorum, later bishop of Milan, Wulfila's adopted son.^[102]
• Palladius, bishop of Ratiaria.^[102]
• Secundianus, bishop of Singidunum.^[102]

Unclassified[link]

• Euzoius, deacon and supporter of Arius; later Homoian bishop of Antioch (361-378, at the same time as three others).^[91][103]
• Dorotheus^{[disambiguation needed ]} or Theodorus^{[disambiguation needed ]}, Homoiousian and later Homoian bishop of Heraclea (?-378) and Antioch, (378-381, at the same time as three others).^[104][105]
• Uranius, bishop of Tyre.^[106]
• Onesimus, bishop of Nicomedia (359-?).^[7]
• Athanasius, bishop of Ancyra (359-?, at the same time as Basil of Ancyra).^[7]
• Acacius, bishop of Tarsus (359-?, at the same time as Silvanus of Tarsus).^[7]

• Silvanus, bishop of Tarsus.^[107]
• Hypatius of Cyrus, bishop of Nicaea (?-380).^[80]
• Leontius, bishop of Tripolis.^[3][36]
• Theodosius, a bishop of Philadelphia in Lydia.^[3][108]
• John, Anomean bishop of Palestine (c. 379-?).^[109]
• Evagrius, bishop of Mytelene.^[3]
• Asterius, presbyter in Antioch, possibly the same as an Asterius who supported Acacius at Seleucia.^[3][39]

See also[link]

• Arianism
• Arius
• Athanasius
• Christian views of Jesus
• Constantinian shift
• History of Christianity
• Nontrinitarianism
• Semi-Arianism
• Shituf
• Trinitarianism

References[link]

External links[link]

• THE ARIANS OF THE FOURTH CENTURY by JOHN HENRY “CARDINAL” NEWMAN in "btm" format
• Timeline of the Arian controversy
• Documents of the early Arian controversy

Arian Foster

Foster on the run
No. 23     Houston Texans
Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1986-08-24) August 24, 1986 (age 25)
Place of birth: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Weight: 229 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College: Tennessee
Undrafted in 2009
Debuted in 2009 for the Houston Texans
Career history
Houston Texans (2009–present)
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl (2010, 2011) 2× All-Pro (2010, 2011) NFL Rushing champion (2010)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 16, 2011
Rushing attempts 659 Rushing yards 3,097 Rushing TDs 29 Average 4.7 Receptions 127 Receiving yards 1,314 Stats at NFL.com

Arian Foster (born August 24, 1986), is an American football running back for the Houston Texans. He was signed by the Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2009 and was added to their active roster from the practice squad on November 17, 2009. He played college football at Tennessee. Foster is known for his signature bow called "Namaste" when he scores a touchdown.^[1]

Early years[link]

Foster was born August 24, 1986 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to Carl Foster, a former wide receiver for the University of New Mexico, and Bernadette Sizemore, an administrative assistant for the university.^[2][3] Foster competed in football at Valley High School, where coaches told him that he was not good enough to play running back.^[4][5] His parents divorced in 2000, and in 2002 he moved to San Diego, California, to be with his father. Foster competed in football at Mission Bay Senior High School, where he initially played as a linebacker, but became a full-time running back in his senior year. He was Mission Bay's featured running back that year, and led San Diego County in all purpose yards with 2,500 while compiling 2,093 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns in addition to six scores on kickoff returns.^[6] In a game against Claremont, Foster ran for 321 yards and for his efforts, he was named San Diego Union Tribune All-San Diego Western League Player of the Year, received All-West Region appointment by PrepStar, and also earned All-California Interscholastic Federation honors.^[6] Then-Tennessee offensive coordinator Randy Sanders and running backs coach Trooper Taylor were impressed by Foster when recruiting in San Diego.^[7] Foster chose to attend Tennessee and was part of the 2004 signing class.

High School statistics[link]

Source: [1] Note: Incomplete

College career[link]

Foster red-shirted his first season as a University of Tennessee Volunteer, sitting behind Gerald Riggs Jr. and Cedric Houston on the depth chart. He was a three-year starter at the running back position for Tennessee.

In his 2005 freshman season, Foster earned the starting job following an injury to Riggs. Foster rushed for 879 yards in his limited action, including a commanding 223-yard performance against Vanderbilt.^[8] Foster scored two touchdowns in the game, and his total of 268 all-purpose yards was the third-highest total in school history.^[8]

His sophomore season of 2006 saw a slight downturn in production, as Foster was limited for the majority of the season with injuries and missed games against Marshall and Memphis. Splitting time with LaMarcus Coker after returning from injury, Foster ended the season with just 322 rushing yards.^[9] Tennessee's final game of the season was the 2007 Outback Bowl, in which Foster fumbled with ten minutes remaining deep in Penn State territory.^[10] The ball was picked up by cornerback Tony Davis and returned 88 yards for a touchdown, breaking a 10-10 tie and providing the winning points in Penn State's 20-10 victory.^[10]

On 4 November 2006, Foster and two reserve players were arrested following a fight in a night club and were charged with disorderly conduct and underage consumption.^[11]

His junior season of 2007 saw Foster take over as the main back, with Montario Hardesty coming in as a substitute. Against Florida, Foster fumbled a left-handed hand-off from injured quarterback Erik Ainge which was recovered by Gators linebacker Dustin Doe and returned eighteen yards for a touchdown.^[12] Up to that point Tennessee had been gaining momentum and pulled to within eight points of tying the game, but the botched play made the score 35-20 and triggered a 24-point Florida run to close out the contest.^[12] Foster surpassed the 1,000-yard mark with a 118-yard performance in a 52-50 win at Kentucky, and finished his junior season with 245 carries for 1,193 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also catching 39 passes for 340 yards and an additional two scores.^[9]

Foster's breakout junior season resulted in a second-round grade^[13] from the draft advisory board and led him to consider leaving school. However, head coach Phillip Fulmer persuaded him to stay for his senior season, a decision Foster would later deeply regret.^[14] Playing under the third position coach and offensive coordinator of his tenure,^[7] Foster was utilized in a rotation following the installation of a new offensive scheme that the Tennessee coaches thought was a better fit for some of the other running backs on the roster.^[9] For his part, Fulmer would attribute Foster's diminished workload to knee and thigh injuries which would later be disputed.^[7] In the end, Foster compiled just 570 yards on 131 carries with only one touchdown in his senior season.^[9]

Foster's subpar senior campaign caused his draft stock to plummet, as well as scouts' concerns about his below-average pass-blocking, issues with ball security and the less-than-stellar reviews from Tennessee staff members that portrayed him as selfish and hard to coach.^[15] A pulled hamstring also prevented Foster from working out at the NFL Scouting Combine, then he had a poor showing at Tennessee's Pro Day when he registered a 4.71 40-yard dash, 4.50 short shuttle, 32-inch vertical leap and 9'7" broad jump.^[15] The combination of factors led to Foster being undrafted at the 2009 NFL Draft; after several teams showed interest in him as a rookie free agent, he chose to sign a contract with the Houston Texans in May 2009^[16] because he thought the situation suited him.^[15]

Foster finished his collegiate career as Tennessee's second all-time leading rusher with 2,964 yards, just 114 behind Travis Henry.^[7] His legacy, however, was mixed. He fumbled just five times on a school-record 650 carries, but all of his drops came at critical moments, including fumbles in both 2006 Penn State games, one against Florida in 2007, and against UCLA and Auburn in 2008.^[7] His former coach Fulmer has defended Foster, saying "There were a couple of fumbles that were untimely that people want to remember; they forget about his full career, about how special he was. He had a couple after a couple of big runs. They were costly, but we probably wouldn't have been there without him."^[7]

College statistics[link]

Source: [2]

NFL career[link]

2009[link]

Foster was signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent on May 1, 2009. He was later released on September 5, 2009, but then was signed to the Texans' practice squad on September 6 and signed to the active roster on November 17. Foster made his NFL debut against the Tennessee Titans on November 23, 2009 and played on special teams. He scored his first NFL career touchdown against the Miami Dolphins in Miami on December 27, 2009 on a 17-yard run up the middle in the second quarter of the game.^[17] Foster then made his first career start against the New England Patriots on January 3, 2010 and posted his first career 100-yard game, rushing for 119 yards and scoring twice on 20 carries.^[18]

Overall Foster played 6 games, starting in only 1, during the 2009 season finishing with 257 yards and 3 touchdowns. ^[19]

2010[link]

On opening day 2010, September 12, in Houston against the Indianapolis Colts, Foster replaced Steve Slaton, the 2009 starting running back, and broke many franchise records, rushing 33 times for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns.^[20] In addition to breaking the record for the most rushing yards by a player of the Houston Texans in a single game, he and Slaton combined for 260 rushing yards, well over the team record for most total in a game, and also the most rushing yards given up to a single player by the Indianapolis Colts. Foster also posted the second-highest NFL opening day rushing total, trailing only O.J. Simpson's 250 yards in 1973. During week 4 on October 3 vs. the Oakland Raiders after being benched for the 1st quarter, Foster recorded the longest run in Texans franchise history when he scored on a 74 yard touchdown run in the 3rd quarter to break a 14-14 tie. Houston went on to win 31-24 behind Foster's 187 yards from scrimmage. After being passed up in rushing yards by Jamaal Charles during the Chiefs last game of the regular season, Foster posted another stunning performance rushing for 180 yards and 2 TD to solidify his spot as the 2010 rushing leader. Foster finished the 2010 season by winning the rushing title with 1,616 Rushing yards and 604 receiving yards breaking the record set by Priest Holmes for most yards from scrimmage ever by an undrafted player. He was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl, which was his first Pro Bowl.

2011[link]

Foster strained his hamstring twice during the 2011 preseason - at one point creating controversy due to his tweeting of an MRI image of the damaged tendon^[21] - resulting in his missing the Texans' opening day game versus the Colts.^[22]

Foster returned in Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, but after carrying the ball ten times for 33 rushing yards in the first half he missed the remainder of the game due to a re-aggravation of the hamstring.^[23]

Foster missed Houston's Week 3 game at New Orleans, but returned to face the Pittsburgh Steelers the following Sunday. Against Pittsburgh Foster ran the ball 30 times for 155 yards, including a 42-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run that proved to be the winning points in the Texans' 17-10 victory. In what was his tenth career 100-yard game, Foster's total of 155 yards was the second-most by a running back against the Steelers defense since 2001 and the most since Curtis Martin tallied 174 versus Pittsburgh in December 2003.^[24] Additionally, his 42-yard touchdown was the longest scoring run allowed by the Steelers since 2006.^[24]

The Texans squared off with the Raiders in Houston in Week 5, just a day after legendary Raiders owner Al Davis passed away. Foster had a tough time generating yards on the ground, tallying just 68 yards on 22 carries.^[25] It was as a pass-catcher that Foster shined against Oakland, catching five balls for 116 yards, including a career-long 60-yard reception in the third quarter. A last-minute rally by Houston fell short when quarterback Matt Schaub was intercepted in the end zone as Houston fell, 25-20.

In Week 6, the Baltimore Raven's stout defense proved a challenge for Foster as he was limited to just 49 yards on 15 carries in a decisive 29-14 loss. Foster continued to contribute in the passing game, however, catching six passes for 52 yards in the losing effort.

Foster exploded in Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans, rushing for 115 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries while accumulating 119 yards receiving and another touchdown on five catches. This helped the Texans en route to a 41-7 victory over their division foe and established them as the division leader; Foster's 234 total yards fell just short of his personal best of 238, which he registered on Opening Day of the 2010 season versus Indianapolis.

Foster followed up his career-day against Tennessee with a solid performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In a tough, ball-control type of game, Foster equaled his career-high in rushing attempts with 33, totaling 112 yards on the ground. In a nod to Foster's prolific pass-catching in recent weeks, the Jaguars limited Foster to just one catch for 12 yards out of the backfield in Houston's 24-14 victory.

He was invited to the 2012 Pro Bowl, which was his second Pro Bowl invite.^[26]

2012[link]

On March 5th the Texans reportedly reached a deal with Foster, worth up to $43.5 million over 5 years.

NFL statistics[link]

Source: [3]

Personal life[link]

As was documented on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Foster was a philosophy major at the University of Tennessee and is an avid writer of poetry.^[14] Foster's first name is an abbreviated form of Aquarian, which means "water bearer," or "holder of knowledge."^[7] Foster is of Mexican American and African American heritage.^[27] Arian is more than just a talented running back: he is a husband, father, poet, writer and thinker. The Sporting News called Foster, “The most interesting man in the NFL.” When not at practice, Arian can be found working out with his personal trainer and brother, Abdul; spending time with his wife, Romina and daughter Zeniah; trying to straighten out his 300+ yard drives or volunteering with one of the many charities he supports including The Boys and Girls Clubs and “A Crucial Catch,” a program of the American Cancer Society dedicated to early detection of breast cancer.

References[link]