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Melvin Foster, a former college football star who later became a sheriff’s deputy in Texas, has died, according to an online obituary. He was 59 years old.
Foster was a standout linebacker for the Iowa Hawkeyes. He was on the team that won a Big Ten championship and made an appearance in the Rose Bowl. He led the team in tackles during his junior and senior seasons.
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Melvin Foster was a deputy sheriff in Harris County, Texas, for 15 years. (Ed González/@SheriffEd_HCSO/X)
Once his college career was over, he had a brief season with the Dallas Cowboys.
He later joined the Harris County, Texas Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff and field training officer. He was with the department for more than a decade.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez described Foster’s death as “unexpected.”
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An Iowa Hawkeyes helmet sits on the field before a football game against the Indiana Hoosiers on September 27, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. (Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“We are saddened by the recent and unexpected passing of our teammate, @HCSOTexas Deputy Melvin Foster,” Gonzalez wrote on X. “Melvin was an incredible man and public servant. He leaves a strong legacy. He served Harris County for nearly 15 years.
“Melvin played for @JackYatesHigh, Class of 1986. He played linebacker for the football team and participated in a state championship in 1985. He played college football for the @IowaFootball Hawkeyes and appeared in the Rose Bowl in 1991. He was awarded All-American, All-State honors by @USATODAY. He was a member of the @dallascowboys in 1992. He was named to the @HC_HSA Hall of Fame.
“He was an impactful leader and was loved by his teammates. We extend our deepest condolences to his family. Melvin will be missed and never forgotten.”
A general view of the stadium before the ReliaQuest Bowl between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Vanderbilt Commodores at Raymond James Stadium on December 31, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Image Images)
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Foster was remembered in his obituary as a “generous man with a big heart.”
