Patient Stories

At six feet, five inches tall and 325 pounds, it’s no wonder Texas A&M offensive lineman and All-American Bryce Foster is nicknamed “The Mountain.” While he may be immovable on the football field, make no mistake, Bryce is prepared to move mountains to achieve his goals. 

“Every day I ask myself if I am working hard enough to get where I want to go,” Bryce said. 

A rare athlete who excels at both Division 1 football and the track and field sport of shot put — where he wants to go is to the NFL. 

“I’m pretty athletic and I’m a big guy. The gift God has given me is not only that I’m the biggest kid out there, but I am also one of the fastest and the strongest. My mental game is also key,” Bryce said. “I want the opportunity to play at the top of the game and to provide for my family.” 

ESPN named Bryce a top draft prospect, rating him a 4-star recruit who is expected to be a first -or second- round NFL pick in 2024. In 2022, the Aggies awarded him the title “Most Explosive” before a season-ending injury left him on the sidelines. 

“It was at the end of the Alabama game, and I was trying to go on a game-winning drive,” Bryce said. “I took a weird step and felt a pop in my leg. It hurt really badly for about 15 seconds and then it went away. I told the trainer, ‘I’m fine. I’m fine.’” 

Bryce managed to walk off the field and even went back in to finish the game. With so much muscle in his leg, the trainers couldn’t see obvious swelling. But an MRI showed a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. 

“One of the trainers called me and said, ‘You tore your ACL,’ and I knew my season was over,” Bryce said. 

That’s when he turned to Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center, Walter R. Lowe, MD (Houston, TX). Dr. Lowe reconstructed Bryce’s ACL with a patellar tendon graft using a BTB TightRope® implant for femoral fixation. He also performed a lateral extra-articular tenodesis using two 2.6 Knotless FiberTak® anchors and a medial meniscus ramp repair with three FiberStitch™ implants to protect the ACL reconstruction. 

“Bryce is a big guy, and football players on the offensive line are prone to these types of injuries. I wanted to protect the repair as much as possible,” said Dr. Lowe. 

After the surgery, Bryce tackled rehab like he does everything else — all in. 

“I looked at Dr. Lowe and said, ‘I’m going to be all the way back in both shot put and football.’ I was really confident in saying that,’” Bryce said. “In rehab, you know it’s going to hurt, but that’s why you’re there. You just keep driving if you’re prepared mentally.” 

Dr. Lowe says he had no doubt Bryce would achieve his goals. In fact, he competed in shot put 122 days after surgery and placed sixth in the Southeastern Conference Indoor Championships. 

“Bryce is back playing football, too, solid as ever,” Dr. Lowe said. 

Today, Bryce plays for the Aggies and is keeping his sights set firmly on the future. 

“An injury like this isn’t fun, but it’s not the end of the world,” Bryce said. “I am back doing everything I used to — cutting, sprinting, lifting — I can do it all. I am excited for the adventure ahead.” 

Disclaimer: 

This is not medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by a surgeon or other qualified medical professional on the use of these products. You should talk with your physician or health care provider for more information about your health condition and whether Arthrex products might be appropriate for you. The surgeon who performs any surgical procedure is responsible for determining and using the appropriate techniques for surgical procedures on each individual patient. Arthrex recommends that surgeons be trained on the use of any particular product before using it in surgery. A surgeon must always rely on their own professional medical judgment when deciding whether to use a particular product when treating a particular patient. A surgeon must always refer to the package insert, product label, and/or directions for use before using any Arthrex product. Postoperative management is patient-specific and dependent on the treating professional’s assessment. Individual results will vary and not all patients will experience the same postoperative activity level or outcomes. Products may not be available in all markets because product availability is subject to the regulatory approvals and medical practices in individual markets. Please contact Arthrex if you have questions about the availability of products in your area. 

This real patient was compensated for the time he took to share his personal experience. 

Physician is a paid consultant of Arthrex, Inc.