NFL loses its ultimate nonconformist after Foster's retirement

Arian Foster's abrupt retirement from the NFL was a fitting denouement for one of the most intriguing careers of the social media era. In the midst of an authoritarian climate mandated by commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL loses its ultimate nonconformist at the most inopportune time.

Foster challenged the mundane routine of professional football from the very minute he entered the league, after going undrafted out of Tennessee. In his second year, Foster took the league by storm in winning the 2010 rushing title, but rejected the typical lifestyle afforded to a player of his caliber. A vegan, atheist superstar was the NFL's worst nightmare, but Foster lived his life with the comfort and grace he so often exuded while bursting through the A-gap.

During his professional tenure, Foster confounded the NFL by being ahead of the curve on numerous social issues. While the league quietly panicked over the emergence of Michael Sam - the first openly gay player in NFL history - Foster offered his unwavering support for gay marriage as an innate human right. More recently, Foster said he'd never stand for the national anthem, joining Colin Kaepernick in his protest against police brutality and racial inequality.

"What would have to happen for me to stand for the national anthem?" Foster recently asked VICE's Jay Caspian Kang. "Honestly, man, I’m not sure I will stand again."

Despite Foster running antithetical to the vast majority of his teammates, he was universally respected, an emblem of tolerance in a culture that dismisses anything uncomfortable. It never bothered Foster that he wouldn't be as marketable as some of his counterparts, with his principles trumping any notion of becoming another banal pitchman.

"Arian is going to voice his thoughts whether you want them or not, or whether you ask for them or not," Justin Forsett said in a 2015 ESPN profile. "He'll make a statement. You can choose to respond or you can let him speak. He's very smart, very witty. If you're not confident in what you believe, and if you don't know what you believe, you'll get caught up and probably look silly. Most guys want to let Arian be Arian."

Ultimately, Foster succumbed to the arduous toll that eight years of professional football took on his body. The perverse notion of valuing athletes as fantasy football commodities instead of actual people has permeated into North American culture, but with his retirement, Foster took the long view and valued his body for years to come. With his older brother, Abdul, as his principal trainer, Foster ends his career as a solely unique player in every respect.

The NFL is currently being roasted as the "No Fun League" and it would do well to remember Foster's simple, practical philosophy in a time when ratings are declining and public trust is eroding:

"Everyone should smile. Life really isn't that serious. We make it hard. The sun rises. The sun sets. We just tend to complicate the process."