Houston Texans: Top 30 moments in team history

Oct 5, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) celebrates his fourth quarter touchdown with a bow against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

4. Arian Foster emerges from the bench and erupts for 1,616 yards in 2010

In 2009 the Houston Texans signed undrafted free agent Arian Foster out of Tennessee. The running back was a good, but not great college player who topped 1,000 yards just once in his four collegiate seasons, when he had 1,193 yards and 12 scores his junior year.

His senior season netted just 570 yards rushing and one touchdown, which explains why the 225 pound runner went through the draft without hearing his name.

In 2009 Foster made the Texans roster, but was relatively quiet going for 257 yards and three touchdowns in just six games. His 4.8 yard per carry average was highly respectable and led to him being factored in going forward.

Foster still wasn’t supposed to be “the guy” though, as the Texans took Auburn rusher Ben Tate in the second round of the 2010 draft. Tate was hurt in the preseason and missed the entire year, and that is what paved the way for the Houston Texans’ franchise rushing leader to break out.

Arian exploded for 1,616 yards and had 16 trips across the goal line on the ground that season. He added 66 receptions for 604 yards and two more touchdowns.

The rest, as they say, is history. Foster may have seen his time come to an end in Houston following a season ending injury in 2015 and if so he will finish with 6,472 yards on the ground with 54 rushing touchdowns.

He also has put together an amazing career catching the ball as he now has 249 career catches for another 2,268 yards of productivity as well as 14 career touchdown catches. It’s weird to think where this team would be if Foster was never given that chance as an undrafted kid back in 2009.

Next: Moment in history, number 3