Ex-Cowboys player Melvin Foster dead at 59
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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 the Big Ten Championship and advanced to 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 Gonzalez/@SheriffEd_HCSO/X)
After his college career ended, he had a brief stint with the Dallas Cowboys.
He later joined the Harris County, Texas Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff and field training officer. He had been with the department for more than a decade.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez called Foster’s death “unexpected.”
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An Iowa Hawkeyes helmet sits on the field before the football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Kinnick Stadium on September 27, 2025 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 Trustee Melvin Foster,” Gonzalez wrote to X. “Melvin was an incredible man and public servant. He leaves behind a strong legacy. He served Harris County for almost 15 years.
“Melvin starred at @JackYatesHigh, Class of 1986. He played linebacker on the football team and made the state championship in 1985. He played college football for the @IowaFootball Hawkeyes and appeared in the Rose Bowl in 1991. He was awarded @USATODAY All-American, All-State honors. He was a member of the @dallascowboys in 1992. @HC_HSA Honor In the list.
“He was an effective leader and was loved by his teammates. We offer 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 Vanderbilt Commodores at Raymond James Stadium on December 31, 2025. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images)
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Foster was remembered in his obituary as “a giving man with a big heart.”
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