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It got so bad that Reuben Foster considered giving up football altogether. The war of words was that painful, the emotional swings that severe.At first, it was the hometown Georgia fans that wanted a piece of the star prep linebacker after he committed to Alabama. Then he moved to Auburn, Ala., and flipped his commitment to Auburn, suddenly giving Alabama fans reason to hurl insults his way. And, of course, there had to be one last turn of events, so he decommitted and showed up to school on national signing day in a Nick Saban-esque straw hat and faxed his letter of intent to Tuscaloosa.So, yes, Fosters was a recruitment full of drama. But for the teenager himself, it was exhausting. Back in 2013, while he was still living in Auburn and preparing to enroll at Alabama, he opened up about the way it affected him. He didnt trust anyone and refused to leave the house. He said that he wanted to act childish and cuss people out for the way they talked to him. He couldnt believe how one fan said he hoped hed tear his ACL. But more than anything, he felt the need to apologize to everyone and anyone he could.It was a business decision, he explained.In signing with Alabama, Foster did what he thought was best for him and his daughter. But at the same time, there was no ignoring the circus hed created. He had painted the picture himself. It was right there, tattooed on his forearm: a big stylized AU. When he originally committed to Auburn, he dressed his daughter in an orange and blue cheerleader outfit and held her up to say where he (thought) he would go to school. To go back on all of that was a matter of throwing gas on an already burning rivalry. Remember, this wasnt long after Toomers Oaks were poisoned and the Iron Bowl was about hate far more than friendly competition.Nearly four years later, Fosters contentious recruitment still bubbles beneath the surface. Hes a senior about to play in his last Iron Bowl this Saturday and weve finally arrived at the final chapter of his story.* * *Initially, Foster thought he may have made a mistake.He always knew going to Alabama wasnt going to be easy, but nothing prepared him for this. The depth chart at inside linebacker was stacked against him with the likes of Trey DePriest, C.J. Mosley and Reggie Ragland already in camp. Instead, he would have his patience tested on special teams.Coaches saw Foster as talented yet undisciplined. Defensive coordinator Kirby Smart said he relied too much on his instincts and kind of ran around and made plays. And while that was useful defending a kick return, it was a liability within the framework of the defense.Foster had been a star his whole life, but when he saw the field against Auburn as a freshman, he was essentially a bystander. He stood on the sideline when the famous Kick Six happened and Alabamas championship hopes were dashed.It took a toll on him not playing, he said, and he briefly considered transferring. Of the three teammates he planned on living with as a freshman -- Alvin Kamara, Dee Liner and Tyren Jones -- one left following the 2013 season and the others were gone a year later.I was a child as a freshman, Foster said. I didnt know any better.Fosters career would improve, but only incrementally. Although he was able to make his first career start as a sophomore in the season opener against West Virginia, he was quickly replaced when DePriest returned from a suspension. The hallmark moment of Fosters sophomore season came against LSU when he launched himself headlong into the chest of Leonard Fournette on a kickoff as time expired, sending the game into overtime and momentum into Alabamas favor for the eventual 20-13 win. Fournette would later call it the biggest hit Ive ever taken.But even then there was concern. The hit, while a spectacular piece of violence, lacked form. He exposed himself by leading with his helmet and for much of the early part of his career hed be plagued by injuries, including at least two concussions and several stingers.It was stressful at first, Foster said of dealing with the injuries and developing as a tackler, but I came along and had guys that patted me on the shoulder and told me it would be OK. I was down bad, but they brought me back up.As a junior last season, we finally saw the complete package from Foster. He won the starting job, appeared in every game and finished second on the team with 73 tackles. In a win against Auburn, he had a team-high six stops and in the playoff semifinal game he helped the defense pitch a shutout of Michigan State with four tackles and one pass breakup.In the lead-up to the national championship game against Clemson, Smart reflected on Fosters growth. The two had known one another since Foster was in the ninth grade and his decision to flip his commitment to Auburn hurt him. But when Foster reopened his recruitment, Smart was one of the first coaches through the door. Foster said that if Smart had gotten the Auburn job he was rumored to be in the running for, he would have signed with the Tigers.Reuben will always hold a special place in my heart, Smart said, with all hes been through as a child and done a great job developing. ... When you have a guy whos really talented and hes coachable, its kind of why we do this as coaches because you get to enjoy being around a kid whos grown up a lot.* * *Foster called out the defense, bent his knees slightly and eyed the USC backfield on first-and-10 early in the second quarter.Justin Davis took the handoff from Max Browne and veered to his left where a wide swath of empty green turf stretched out in front of him.But Foster shuffled, spun his hips and sprinted, running perpendicular with the length of the field. It was the perfect angle. Foster turned upfield, squared up Davis and threw a shoulder into his chest. It looked as if Foster had been shot out of a cannon, knocking Davis clear off his feet and throwing him back a few yards. All at once, AT&T Stadium groaned.It was only 3-0 at the time, but the message was sent loud and clear by Foster: Alabamas defense was on another level. The Tide would go on to win, 52-6.A couple of weeks later, Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly had the gall to not duck out of bounds with Foster chasing him. So Foster threw his shoulder in Kelly so hard it made the entire Ole Miss sideline flinch and caused fellow linebacker Ryan Andersons jaw to drop.I was scared for [Kelly], Anderson said. I dont know where he came from. I was running and it was like, Bop! Like what was that? I should have known it was 10.Anderson added: Hes 100 miles per hour on every play. He plays at one speed, and thats scary.Defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson said of Foster, I dont know if he knows how to hit anyone soft.It has been that way all season. Foster leads the team with 75 tackles and you can count on at least one stop per game that makes you raise your eyebrows.Pro Football Focus called Foster the most complete linebacker in the nation. On Monday, he was named one of five finalists for the Butkus Award.A few days earlier, he reinjured his wrist and had to leave the field during the first quarter against Chattanooga. He could have easily sat out the game against a cupcake FCS opponent, but trainers taped his hand up and he was back on the sideline in no time. During the first play back on the field, Foster split two offensive linemen and had a tackle for loss, club hand and all.Hes a warrior, said safety Ronnie Harrison. Hes battling through a lot of stuff right now and just continues to come in every day and works. He doesnt complain.Hes always talking to us. He brings the energy every day in practice. Hes like the biggest leader on our defense.This Saturday afternoon, Foster will lead the defense one last time in Bryant-Denny Stadium. The opponent: Auburn.True to his word, Foster never got rid of the AU tattoo on his forearm. And if you want to find them, there are still pictures floating around with his daughter in a blue and orange cheerleaders uniform from the second of his verbal commitments. But after this weekend, Fosters time as a player in the Iron Bowl will be over.His name wont leave the rivalrys history -- his story is too colorful for that to happen -- but this game will effectively serve as his parting shot.Four years ago, he apologized for the way he spurned Auburn. He was hurt and felt like an underdog going to Alabama, he said.But even back then, in the midst of a painful situation, he was embracing what the rivalry would mean.The Iron Bowl is going to be crazy, he said before he made the move from Auburn to Tuscaloosa. Any time I make a tackle or step on the field or even get near something its going to be, Boo! I tell myself if I hear that it wont do anything to me, Ill laugh. You boo me, Ill give you something to boo about. Custom Uniforms Outlet . 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The guides role is to provide everything a runner with vision has, from informing the runner how far they are on the track, to where they are in comparison to other racers or what they must do to win. Needless to say, the guides role is a crucial one.Clegg and Clarke both train at Loughborough High Performance Athletic Center in the U.K. and have known each other for six years. But it wasnt until February that Clegg asked Clarke whether he would be interested in becoming her new guide. She had recently parted ways with guide Mikhail Huggins and had lost funding from the British government after a series of injuries, so it was a time of transition for Clegg. She needed someone she could trust completely to be her eyes on the track.It turned out to one of the best decisions either of them had ever made. The lightning-quick duo won gold in the 100-meter and 200-meter races in the T11 category this month in the Paralympic Games.But their journey wasnt as easy as the end results might indicate.Guide runners are connected to their Paralympian by a band at their hands, and they essentially must become mirror images of each other. That meant Clarke had to undergo a number of adjustments. From the positioning of his legs off the blocks to losing the freedom of one hand to the length of his stride, everything felt foreign to the seasoned sprinter.?Ive been conditioned all these years to run out of the blocks a certain way and how to run a certain way, Clarke said by phone from his home in England. Getting the timing of it was tough, too, because I cant just burst out of the blocks like I normally do. It just took time to learn how to be respondent to how she comes out of the blocks and how quick she is. And it was tough with my stride; at first it felt like I was barely lifting my knees up.Clarke also initially struggled guiding Clegg through the bend in the 200 meter. Im slightly twisted, her hand goes toward the inside of the track, so that takes my hand back and Im always twisting, he said.It took almost two months of training together for it to feel natural to Clarke, who was a bronze medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2010 Indoor World Championships. Still, Clarke said their first race together, at an open meet at Loughborough, was awful. Clocking in at 13.05 in the 100 meters, the pair knew they had a lot of work to do to reach the podium in Rio.In addition to his own training, Clarke began working with Clegg two to three times a week. And after he failed to qualify for the Olympics, they started training every day.It helped me get over it, he saaid.dddddddddddd?I just went right back to training with Libby, and it gave me something to focus on. It kept me happy. I just wanted to help her with her goals.The pairing started to feel increasingly comfortable, and Clarke improved his in-race communication with Clegg -- a foreign concept for an able-bodied sprinter, but necessary for athletes without vision to know where they are and what they need to do.Soon after, Clegg was reclassified to T11 from T12 because of her deteriorating vision. The change required her to wear a blindfold to prevent her from using her little remaining sight. It was a big adjustment, one she called terrifying. Even so, in their first race in the T11 division, at the IPC Grand Prix in July, the pair not only won the 200 meters but broke a world record with a time of 24.44 seconds. Clegg was then named to her third British Paralympic team, and the pair began preparing for Rio.While everything seemed to be going their way, their time in Brazil was anything but smooth initially. In the semifinal run of the 100 meters, they appeared to set a world-record time of 11.91 seconds. But they were later disqualified after a fellow runner alleged Clarke had illegally pulled Clegg during the race. They immediately appealed but were forced to wait out their fate for several hours.?I felt horrible, Clarke said. Libby was just like, Dont worry about it. Whatever happens, happens. She was really nice about it, but I was a total wreck for that hour or two.Ultimately, the decision was reversed and they were reinstated. With something to prove, Clegg and Clarke won the final later that same day and took home their first gold medal.Just days later, they would go on to win the gold in the 200 meters -- again, not without controversy. This time, however, they werent involved. Crowd favorite Terezinha Guilhermina of Brazil and her guide Rafael Lazarini were disqualified for a false start.Although Clarke has competed at world championships, European championships and several other elite races, he calls his Paralympic experience the coolest thing hes ever done. And most importantly, he values the chance to help a friend achieve her dreams. It felt so good, he said.Ive known Libby for a long time, and Ive known the last year hasnt been that great for her. It was just rewarding to see hard work pay off. It was an amazing feeling to be a part of that and to help her achieve what she wanted to achieve.After returning to London to a heros welcome at Heathrow Airport, where hundreds of people were waiting to greet them on Sept. 20, Clarke is now just trying to catch up on sleep. The pair has briefly discussed attempting to do it all again for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, where Clarke hopes to compete in the Olympics, as well, but nothing is certain. They plan to compete together in next summers world championships in London.That would be an awesome chance for Libby to compete here at home, he said. Ill try to go on this journey as long as shell have me. And hopefully she wont upgrade me in a year or two! ' ' '