Roy Foster made the coast-to-coast jump from USC to the Dolphins as the 24th overall pick in 1982, a consensus All-American guard who had won the Morris Trophy twice as the Pac-10’s top lineman. He saw limited action as a rookie in the strike-shortened season and started only once the following year, but by 1984 he had locked down the starting left guard spot and held it for most of the next six seasons.

He became a mainstay on an offensive line that protected Dan Marino during some of the quarterback’s peak years. Foster earned Pro Bowl selections after the 1985 and 1986 seasons and started nearly every game from 1984 through 1989, helping the Dolphins reach Super Bowls XVII and XIX. A powerful run blocker with the athleticism to handle edge rushers in pass protection, he was a reliable presence on units that ranked among the league’s best in scoring and yardage. In 1984, the Dolphins’ offense set records while Foster started every game; two years later, the team again led the NFL in points with him anchoring the left side. By 1990 he had lost the starting job to a younger player.

After the 1990 season, he left as a Plan B free agent and signed with the San Francisco 49ers. In nine seasons with Miami, he appeared in 132 games and started 95 of them. Foster’s run as a Pro Bowl guard made him a key piece of those high-powered Dolphins offenses.