Echoes from the Cave: One-on-One with Mason Foster September 5, 2014 by Gil Arcia 
Foster says he has told his mom to “get off Twitter.”. (Photo Credit: Tampa Bay Buccaneers) TheBayCave.com is kicking off the 2014 season with a special series from inside the Buccaneers’ locker room titled “Echoes from the Cave.” This series will feature question and answer sessions with one player relating to on the field and off the field matters. Buccaneers’ middle linebacker Mason Foster is the featured guest for the kick off edition of Echoes from the Cave. He shared his thoughts on regime changes to social media and everything in between.TheBayCave.com: This is now the third regime you are playing under as you enter your fourth season: First one under Raheem Morris, second under Greg Schiano, and now under Lovie Smith. How has the transition been from one to the next in such a short time? Mason Foster: It’s always tough. Whenever you switch coaches a lot of new guys come in, a lot of friends leave. But at the same time, in college it was the same thing for me. I had two different coaches, different schemes. But it’s always good. You get fresh people around, different ideas and makes you a better person.TBC: You called the defensive plays your rookie year. You have now had an entire offseason to get used to calling them again but under a Lovie Smith style defense. How were you approached about handling that responsibility and how would you rate your comfort level with calling the plays under this defense?Foster: I’m definitely real comfortable. Getting thrown in as a rookie with a lockout starting to call plays, it kind of prepared me for this, for whatever I was going to face in the NFL. [Now I've had] a whole offseason. But as far as [head coach Lovie Smith] coming up to me, they pretty much said that’s what their mike does. And that’s how it usually is everywhere else. It’s just a little curveball [former head coach Greg] Schiano had. But it’s something most mikes do. That’s how [Lovie Smith] likes his defense.TBC: How does being in charge of calling plays differ from not calling plays when it comes to game planning for a guy like Cam Newton?Foster: When you’re calling plays, you have to know the checks, know everything — know the signals. You have to do that anyways as a linebacker so it’s not really too big of a difference, but the biggest thing is you have to be up there giving the call because everyone is relying on you to get it from the coach so you can’t slip up and be out there stuttering or anything.TBC: What do you think separates Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly from other linebackers in the league?Foster: He’s just a hard worker. You can tell that he studies the game. He’s a great leader for that team. I had a chance to meet him. One of my good friends trained him when he was getting ready for the combine. He said that’s just how he is, he’s a great dude and really just works his tail off day in and day out — first person in, last person out. It’s something that a lot of young players can look at his game and see how much that helps you.TBC: Earlier this week, Lovie Smith challenged you to outplay Kuechly on Sunday. Does that put any pressure on you? Or is it more motivation?Foster: No, it’s not more added pressure. Definitely motivation. You always want to outplay the defense you’re going against and the mike linebacker has a lot to do with that. If I go out there and have a great game — just [our] linebackers period outplay their linebackers — looks good for our defense, looks good for our team. That’s always our main goal.TBC: Lovie Smith and the rest of the team have expressed their support for you. Has to feel good knowing that with the added responsibilities you may have been given for the season, the team supports you 100 percent.Foster: It’s big because you want to feel, everybody wants to feel wanted and needed. It’s big definitely with how hard I’ve been working, how I’ve approached the offseason, how I’ve approached OTAs would show people I’m the guy for the job.TBC: Now with that said, there is no bigger support out there than your mom. Someone says something about No. 59 on Twitter and she’s on them instantly. What’s up with that? Not very many moms are on Twitter defending their boys.Foster: (With a smile) It’s crazy man, that’s my mom. My whole family is like that since I was playing Pop Warner. It’s great man. She loves football. That’s probably the biggest thing that people don’t understand. It’s not just me it’s anybody I grew up with, anybody from our area, she loves football. She’s watching it closely. She’s always been like that.TBC: She’s a pro on Twitter. You’re pretty active yourself. Did you guys sit down and teach each other the ins and outs of Twitter?Foster: (Laughing) No, I actually told her to get off of twitter. But she’s retired now. I have a little son and she’s down here. She loves her grandson. She just sits around all day, sits by the pool, lounging. Her and my dad have nothing else better to do than watch NFL Network and see who is doing what so it’s great man. She’s loving it.TBC: You brought back the strut of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair and show it off after every tackle-for-loss or sack. Any plans on switching it up? We’ve seen you talking about Stone Cold Steve Austin a lot, maybe bringing his strut? I know the NFL fines for gestures like his…Foster: It would be cool, I’m a big wrestling fan. That’s where I got it from. The Rock, Stone Cold, you know what I mean? The Dudley Brothers, all those guys. I love all wrestling. When I was little I used to love it all. But I just like the Nature Boy strut and I really like how Ric Flair used to talk crazy and talk about his money. I love it man. Shout out to all my wrestling fans.TBC: Will we see more of it this year?Foster: Definitely man. You [have to] keep getting better. Make a lot more plays. I have the opportunity to. Now I just have to go out there and do it. We have a great defense. I’m excited man.link
