Reuben Foster on wins getting dopamine into the brain - it’s working!

dopamine: a compound present in the body as a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain’s reward and pleasure centers. It also helps regulate movement and emotional responses and it enables one to not only see rewards but to take action to move towards them.

When you listen and watch Reuben Foster’s interviews you can’t help but feel the infectious enthusiasm he has for the game of football and life itself. He spoke after the San Francisco 49ers win in Houston and explained what winning does for the psyche of the team. His comments, as usual, are always entertaining and memorable.

It’s great man, it’s awesome man, putting that dopamine in your brain. That win, put some money in the bank. You know, learning how to win slowly but surely, don’t give up faith.

And what is learning how to win?

That feeling that you’re a winner. Everybody still had that feeling but just the fact that we keep putting things in the bank, winning winning. You know what I’m saying even one win is great, so it feels good. Everybody know how winning feels. So we Juszczyk gotta keep it on a roll and maintain.

A big part of that ability to win is new teammate, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. While the locker room never wavered with Brian Hoyer or C.J. Beathard under center, it turner a corner when the Chicago native came to Santa Clara. Garoppolo has helped the team win and Foster talked about his effect on the team.

Big effect. He’s out there doing his thing, he’s out there being a quarterback, being a pro so we can’t help but look at that and rally around him and just really just be behind his back like he’s behind ours. He’s just a great player.

Foster’s enthusiasm is evident when he describes many of his teammates. When asked about Aaron Lynch and Tank Carradine’s return to the field in Houston he talked about the defensive line rotation.

It’s amazing how they switch ‘em up and all the guys are good you never miss a beat. Everybody is on their toes, ready to play and it’s awesome.

And his thoughts on Adrian Colbert:

Awww man, heat seeking missile. You know broken thumb but that don’t affect nobody, don’t affect him. He’s a great player. Enthusiastic, really coming downhill like a freakin animal, like, it’s insane. We joke sometimes about who hits hard and who don't but he’s an amazing player, I love the guy.

Foster’s teammates like to give him a hard time too. Foster was down on the field in Houston being attended to by trainers and when they realized he was fine, they gave him grief.

Awww man. I got the wind knocked out of me. I thought I was gone for a little minute. But I was alright. The teammates had me laughing out there. I couldn’t hardly breathe but they had me giggling. Yeah they were joking “Man you gotta get those pads down, he blew you up!” Nah, he didn’t blow me up, I just got shot, you know, I got shot. It was a great blitz. Great.

This season may have been disappointing for players and fans but Foster sees the positives starting to stack up. He sees the team turning the corner with a lot to look forward to, but yet, it’s still one game at a time and its’ all about pride.

Gotta go on a roll and keep it going. Right now we’re not in the playoffs but it’s all about pride. You know, this is the football we love, this is the sport we love, so you know, we just can’t give up and lay down. Just keep fighting, keep pushing.

It will continue to next year just by us winning now and the people we have in this locker room. It’s amazing, so going on next year it’s going to be great but right now we’re not looking on to next year, right now we’re just going game after game and just going for it and we’re like one play at a time, one game at a time.