Key defensive lineman returning to Clemson football program

Clemson will be getting a key member of its defensive line back next season.

The school announced Justin Foster will be back for his senior year. Foster announced in February that he would step away from football because of complications related to asthma and COVID-19. He missed the entire 2020 season.

“It’s not often you get a call from a great player that you think is gone and he says he’s coming back,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “He’s a great leader with great experience and a really talented football player.

Foster informed the coaches of his decision early this week.

“For me, the decision came when I went to Duke a couple weeks ago and the doctor was positive on me recovering in the near future,” Foster said in a school release. “In the next month or two, she thought I’d recover enough to compete at the college level, and she motivated me and said that if I wanted to play again, she’d encourage me to and support me and she would do the best she could to get me back healthy. She believed that I will be healthy and, for me, that was a big stepping stone.”

Foster was a key member of the Tigers’ defensive line in 2019 with 35 tackles and 4 ½ sacks. For his career, he has 66 career tackles (17.5 for loss) and seven sacks.