Steelers Ramon Foster's high school jersey will be retired - after the season

A funny tidbit appeared in the notebook column of Tribune-Review reporter Alan Robinson Tuesday, pointing out Steelers left guard Ramon Foster spent part of his bye week at his alma mater, Ripley High School, in Tennessee. The school hosted him for a jersey retirement ceremony scheduled for that weekend.

The only problem was Foster's jersey, No. 77, was worn by Robert Pearson, a member of the team.

So it wasn't exactly retired. Or, more accurately, it hasn't been retired yet. Per Robinson's writing, Foster found the humor in the situation as well. “I almost wanted to snatch it off the kid's back,” Foster said, laughing. “I didn't want to be a bad guy about it."

Certainly an awkward situation, and it's unclear why it couldn't have waited until the following season, or even why Foster didn't seem to know about it.

Foster, an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee in 2009, received a three-year contract from the Steelers this offseason, and has replaced Willie Colon at left guard. Foster has a strained pectoral muscle, and may miss the Steelers' Week 6 game against the Jets, incidentally, where Colon is now.

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