HOUSTON –Houston Texans RB Arian Fosterwas named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month after totaling 499 rushing yards, 310 yards receiving and scoring five total touchdowns in the five games he played in October. Foster also garnered the honor in September of 2010, making him the first player in franchise history to win the honor twice.
Foster's 809 yards from scrimmage were the third-most in the month of October in the history of the NFL, trailing only Larry Brown's 851 yards for Washington in 1972 and Eric Dickerson's 829 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1983. Foster was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week in Week 4 against Pittsburgh and Week 7 at Tennessee, and posted at least 100 yards rushing and/or receiving in four out of five games.
The third-year running back began the month rushing for 155 yards and a touchdown in a 17-10 win against Pittsburgh on Oct. 2. The performance earned Foster the second AFC Player of the Week Award of his career and marked the most yards allowed by the vaunted Steelers defense since 2003.
Against Oakland in Week 5, Foster posted the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, catching five passes for 116 yards. He also rushed for 68 yards against the Raiders and total 184 yards from scrimmage. Foster totaled 101 scrimmage yards (49 rushing, 52 receiving) in Week 6 at Baltimore.
Foster became the fourth player since the 1970 merger to score three touchdowns and have more than 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in a single game in the 41-7 win at Tennessee in Week 7 and earned his second AFC Player of the Week Award.
The 2010 NFL rushing champion carried the ball 25 times for 115 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground and had five receptions for 119 yards, including a career-long 78-yard touchdown grab in the second quarter. Foster became the first player in Texans history and 32nd player in NFL history to have more than 100 yards rushing and receiving in a single game. His 234 scrimmage yards against Tennessee were second only to his franchise-record 238 scrimmage yards, set against Indianapolis in the 2010 season opener.
Last week against Jacksonville, Foster eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the third time in the month, churning out 112 yards and tying a career high with 33 rushing attempts.
Foster ranks fourth in the AFC with 532 yards rushing and is sixth among NFL running backs with 317 yards receiving despite missing two-plus games with a hamstring injury this season. He also ranks eighth in the NFL with 849 yards from scrimmage.
Foster first won the award in September of 2010, following a month in which he set several single-game team rushing records with 231 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the season opener against Indianapolis and led the NFL with 406 yards rushing, 502 total yards and 27 first downs gained in three games.
