PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Foster Goes His Own Way, Has Surgery

Barry Foster, the star running back of the Pittsburgh Steelers, is expected to be fully healed by June from an ankle operation Tuesday the team did not want him to have.

Foster, who underwent 90 minutes of surgery to repair tissue in his left ankle at the Pitt Medical Center, will miss the rest of the season but doctors said he should be ready for training camp in July.

University of Pittsburgh orthopedist Freddie Fu performed the operation, which he called ‘low-risk” and “not complicated.” He said Foster risked further damage by not having surgery.

The Steeler doctors wanted Foster to rest the ankle, then, if necessary, immobilize it for a month. They did not think surgery was necessary.

Foster, who led the AFC with 1,690 yards last season, injured his left ankle in the first quarter Nov. 15 against Buffalo. Steeler doctors first described the injury as a bad sprain but later found damage in a sheath surrounding the ankle.

Despite the Steelers’ reluctance to operate, team President Dan Rooney visited Foster, saying, “We fully support Barry’s decision.”

Rooney was unhappy that Pitt called a news conference to discuss the operation, calling it “self-serving.”

Coach Bill Cowher was conciliatory at his weekly news conference, saying, “It’s always the player’s ultimate decision.”

Foster ends his season with 711 yards on 177 carries and eight touchdowns.