Former Chicago Bears RB Matt Forte to be induced into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
Other than Walter Payton and Gale Sayers, there’s not too many Chicago Bears running backs who have a lasting legacy. The list really thins as you go through it, but there’s one guy who stole the hearts of Bears fans for years.
That would be Matt Forte, one of the most consistent players for the Chicago Bears over the past 20 years.
Forte spent eight years with the Chicago Bears and ten years total in the NFL, as he retired with the New York Jets. With Chicago, Forte ran for 8,602 yards total and was a regular in the endzone as he racked up 45 rushing touchdowns. It was announced today that the two-time Pro Bowler Matt Forte will be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.
Forte has been a well-known name in Louisiana for quite some time. Forte grew up in Slidell, Louisiana, and graduated from Slidell High School in 2004, where he was a letterman in football and track & field. Following graduation, Forte attended Tulane University and stayed all four years, while having one of the most explosive senior years in Tulane history. He went off for 2,127 yards and 23 touchdowns, and even won the Senior Bowl MVP in 2008.
He has always been a role model on and off the field, as he was a finalist for the Walter Payton man of the year award back in 2015. Forte has his own foundation, (The Matt Forte Foundation), that is dedicated to supporting the youth in the city of Chicago.
Will the Chicago Bears find another back like Matt Forte?
Matt Forte had some monster seasons for the Chicago Bears. His best may have been back in 2014, as he rushed for 1,038 yards and caught 102 passes for 808 yards. Forte joined NFL history that year, becoming one of two running backs in NFL history to have 1,000 rushing yards and 100 catches in a single season. He joined LaDainian Tomlinson who did it in 2003, and then 15 years later in 2018 Christain McCaffrey did it.
With the NFL Draft looming, and the Chicago Bears losing David Montgomery in free agency, a realistic question to be asked is who will be the next great running back in the windy city? Surely, it’s not easy in today’s NFL where running backs have seemed to lose their value. But having a consistent run game to balance out the passing attack is never a bad thing.
In an age where anyone and everyone is creating mock drafts, you tend to see a few wild ones along the line. In a recent mock done by NFL.com, the Chicago Bears were projected to take Bijan Robinson. Robinson is regarded as one of the more premier backs in the draft pool and would instantly make this offense much better.
Now is taking a running back in the top ten ideal? In 2023, I don’t think so. However, if Robinson somehow falls to the second round, it would be hard to pass up. To maximize the potential of Justin Fields, any additional help would be ideal.
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