Barber: Questions for 49ers’ Reuben Foster following his arrest

Hey, Reuben Foster, I have a few questions for you following your arrest Sunday. I don’t imagine your legal counsel will advise you answer to me or anyone else, at least not in the near future. But I’m going to ask anyway, because a lot of us who follow the 49ers are curious about some things.

Let’s start small, with your appearance at the NFL scouting combine a year ago. Looking back, what was that incident at the Indianapolis hospital about? Why did you become enraged while waiting for a physical? Was the line really that long?

At the time, we dismissed it. You were 22 years old. You didn’t hurt anyone. Heaven knows I’ve wanted to scream in frustration in a hospital or two over the years. No big deal, right?

In light of recent events, though, questions emerge. Do you have trouble dialing down your anger, Reuben? Are you prone to outbursts? Are you in control? Did the cocoon they constructed around you at the University of Alabama do more harm than good? Did it inhibit your growth as an adult?

Not to paint the Crimson Tide with one broad brush. Raiders receiver Amari Cooper played at Alabama, and he seems to be a perfect gentleman. But a lot of us can’t get Rolando McClain out of our heads. Do you remember McClain? He was a linebacker like you, and when the Raiders drafted him in 2010, scouts raved about his effort and his “football IQ.” But he was an NFL washout on the field, and a disaster off of it. Did you see McClain’s arrest photo after he was charged with assault, reckless endangerment, etc.? The one where he’s grinning ear to ear? Was that not a cautionary tale?

Reuben, let’s talk about your arrest in Tuscaloosa last month for marijuana possession. And let’s be clear about one thing: I don’t judge people for smoking weed. It’s legal in California. It should be legal everywhere. I wish more NFL players would light up a joint rather than turn to opiates for their pain.

But Reuben, I wonder about the circumstances of that arrest. Few details emerged afterward. We know the charge was second-degree possession, a Class A misdemeanor in Alabama. We also know that young African-American men bear a higher level of scrutiny than, say, my friends and me when we were just out of college.

But were you careless that day? Or even blatant? Did you remember that you had turned in a diluted urine sample at the combine, signaling that you were “exceptionally hydrated” when you peed into that cup, and that many employers would read it as an attempt to mask drug use? Do you realize that the diluted sample caused you to enter the NFL’s substance abuse program right out of the gate?

Again, I couldn’t care less if you pack a pipe in the living room. But did you recall that the 49ers gave you a $4.7 million signing bonus last June? Do you think maybe you owe it to them to show discretion in your public behavior? To pick your spots wisely?

I have questions about Sunday’s arrest, too.

Like, why do you own an assault rifle? Or maybe more than one assault rifle? According to the Mercury News, when police responded to an apparent domestic quarrel at a Los Gatos residence on Sunday morning, a woman, reportedly your long-term girlfriend - should we call her the victim? - told them you had at least two AR-15 rifles in the house.

When they searched the home, officers found a SIG Sauer 516 short-barreled rifle. The SIG 516 is based on the popular Colt AR-15, which is the civilian version of the M16.

I don’t want to wade into the whole gun control morass here. I get it, guns are fun to shoot, and many Americans hold the Second Amendment dear. But let’s be honest. The AR-15 and other semi-automatic weapons were designed for exactly one purpose - to kill people. The M16 has done just that, mowing down countless combatants from Vietnam to Liberia to Afghanistan. Adam Lanza used an AR-15 when he murdered 20 children and six educators in Newtown. There’s some history here.

Reuben, why do you need a weapon that holds 30 rounds and can fire 750 to 900 rounds per minute? Are you planning to invade Nicaragua? Are the zombies coming for you? Doesn’t it seem like a bad idea to keep one or more of these firearms in your house? The law is a bit murky, from what I can tell, but there is also reason to believe your SIG 516 is illegal in California. Again, considering the red flags you’ve been busily planting over the past year, shouldn’t your nose be a little cleaner?

But Reuben, these are preliminary questions. Here’s the big one: Did you beat up your girlfriend? Did you physically drag her during an argument, as the Mercury News reported Monday? Did you hit her? Choke her? Throw her into a wall?

Was your girlfriend lying to the police when her statement convinced the officers to charge you with domestic violence and threats, in addition to the weapons charge? I mean, some men accused of domestic violence are innocent, right? Not many, I’d wager. There are a lot of barriers - emotional, physical, financial - that might convince a woman to stay silent about her abuse. So when someone does speak out, we have to take her words very seriously. Are you one of the rare exceptions, Reuben?

The thing is, we really want to believe you didn’t hurt anyone. Because Reuben, you were a joy to watch last season. You really were. When your injuries healed sufficiently to let you on the field, you were immediately the 49ers’ best defender as a rookie. So quick to diagnose. So fast. So explosive. In the locker room, your personality was magnetic. Your smile could light the way for ships at sea. You seemed happy, genuine, deeply in love with football, and we flocked to your crumbs like pigeons.

Is that the real you, Reuben? Is this recent arrest some sort of misunderstanding? Or is there something dark and menacing inside of you?

Have you heard of Aldon Smith? And Ray McDonald? And Bruce Miller? And Tramaine Brock? Do you get that the 49ers have been worn down in recent years by having to answer for players who faced charges similar to yours? Do you understand that they’re about done with it? That no matter how hard you can tackle a running back or how many teeth we can see when you smile, you are not above the law, or above team standards? That if you really did hurt that lady, you’ll be out a job?

And one final question, Reuben:

Are you willing to change?

You can reach columnist Phil Barber at 707-521-5263 or phil.barber@pressdemocrat.com. Follow him on Twitter: @Skinny_Post.