Matt Forte News: Pro Sports Daily

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November 8

Chicago Sun-Times

"Matt Forte may be operating under the radar for some, but not as far off as Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth had him. ''Forte, man, he's an awesome back,'' Haynesworth said this week. ''Gosh, I heard he got taken in the fourth round. I don't know how many people missed the ball on that one. 'The guy has got awesome feet. He looks like a Deuce McAllister, honestly, maybe even better and fresher. He's just got great size, great ability and great feet. He's going to be tough. He's going to be one of the toughest running backs we have to face.'' While the McAllister comparison might be a little off -- and Forte was a second-round pick -- Haynesworth's comments on Forte's ..."

Bears' best bet: Let Forte run

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October 19

Chicago Tribune

columnist David Haugh

"To stop Adrian Peterson from controlling a game that could give the winner control of the NFC North, the Bears need Brian Urlacher to remind Chicago why he's a superstar linebacker. They need defensive tackle Tommie Harris to stop being unbearable and start being unblockable. They need free safety Mike Brown to introduce himself to Peterson face mask-to-face mask and strong safety Kevin Payne to inflict a little. They need Lance Briggs to continue his Pro Bowl-level play to help the Bears stop the run as well as they have. But the Bear who is most equipped to make it a frustrating day for Peterson doesn't play defense. That would be running back Matt Forte, the rookie whose season-opening ..."

Forte's less forceful lately

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October 17

Chicago Sun-Times

"The numbers say the Bears' running game has been dipping the last month. Rookie Matt Forte, sixth in the NFL with 459 yards and on pace for 1,224, has been slowed in recent weeks as defenses gear up to stop the run. Forte's output thus far is the most by a Bears rookie back since Beattie Feathers in 1934, but he hasn't gone over 100 yards since the opener at Indianapolis and has broken off only one 20-yard run since. Forte is averaging a lackluster 3.01 yards per attempt in the last four games and 3.6 for the season, and the team that ''gets off the bus running'' is 13th in the NFL in rushing. But while yards per carry is the truest measure of success for a back -- production can't be ..."

After 'interview' with Lions, Forte doing job for Bears

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October 3

Chicago Sun-Times

"For a moment, at least, picture Matt Forte in the blue and silver of the Detroit Lions. The Lions did an exhaustive amount of work on the rookie running back from Tulane leading up to the draft in April. If they'd wanted to nab him in the second round, the Bears got him in the nick of time -- 44th overall and one pick before the Lions' second selection. Detroit grabbed its running back, Central Florida's Kevin Smith, with the first pick of the third round. Forte visited the Lions' facility in Allen Park, Mich., in March at the same time Smith and Texas' Jamaal Charles were there. ''I knew there were going to be a couple of us there,'' Forte said. ''I just took it as a job interview. During ..."

Forte 'plugs away' in win

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September 29

Chicago Tribune

columnist Fred Mitchell

"Matt Forte said he felt like a marked man Sunday night, perhaps the ultimate compliment for a rookie running back. "It's tough running out there when they are keying on the run," said Forte, who was limited to 43 yards on 19 carries (2.3 average). "But I just kept plugging away. You know, you can't give up. That's why the passing game opened up a lot." Forte's 10-yard run late in the fourth quarter continued a drive as the Bears played keep-away from the Eagles and held on for a 24-20 victory. The threat that Forte posed as a breakaway runner enabled offensive coordinator Ron Turner to deploy other weapons for quarterback Kyle Orton. Forte even caught a team-high five passes for 42 yards, ..."

Bears' Forte off to fast start

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September 25

PhillyBurbs.com

"It wasn't too long ago that Matt Forte was competing with Cedric Benson and Adrian Peterson just to get some snaps at Bears training camp. Now Forte is one of the league's leading rushers. Forte, a rookie second-round pick from Tulane, won the starting tailback spot during the preseason and has rushed for 304 yards in the Bears' first three games. That's the most yards by any NFL back after three games since Cadillac Williams had 434 in 2005 and the most by a Bear in his first three games since Beattie Feathers gained 313 in 1934. Forte already has an NFL-high 73 carries and an NFL-high 86 touches, which is high for anybody - especially a 22-year-old rookie. "I'm fine," Forte said in a ..."

Running Start

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September 15

New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Michael Parenton sat there, his eyes fixed on the television as he watched his best friend live out his dream. Parenton was so proud to see Matt Forté, wearing a Chicago Bears uniform, take the handoff on third-and-6 from midfield and make an impressive run. First he showed off the elusiveness -- which some questioned before the draft -- by juking Colts safety Antoine Bethea. Then Forté turned on the speed -- which many more said he didn't have before he stunned them at the NFL Scouting Combine -- by outracing All-Pro safety Bob Sanders for a 50-yard touchdown. Parenton's jaw dropped. This was a run Parenton, a senior center at Tulane, had become used but few in the NFL had ever ..."

Bears knew Matt Forte was special

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September 11

Chicago Tribune

columnist Mike Downey

"He broke one 50 yards untouched for a touchdown on the fourth carry of his NFL career Sunday night in prime time, and Americans in front of TV sets heard Al Michaels and John Madden rave as they saw replays of Matt Forte's zigs and zags. And they turned to each other in their homes and asked: "Who?" Forte, is it—with an accent mark over the e? But the other Chicago Bears already knew who he was."I told everybody he was going to be special," tackle Tommie Harris was pleased to say Wednesday before practice. "My parents, my friends, everybody." Bears from the Super Bowl holdovers to the team's rookie third-string quarterback seemed to sense the same thing. "I could see it right away, how ..."

Perfect Fit For Forte

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September 9

Chicago Sun-Times

"When Garret Chachere sat down with Matt Forte for lunch the day before the NFL draft in April, he asked which team Forte thought was going to call his name the next day. The Bears, Forte said, because they had shown the most interest in him over the previous two months. Chachere, who recruited Forte to Tulane and is now the special-teams coach at Memphis, thought it sounded like a good match, but he would have liked the running back's chances in just about any setting. He has been a believer in Forte a lot longer than most. ''It's funny,'' Chachere said Monday afternoon. ''He had an inkling that was where he was going. I expected big things from him this year, and I knew he was happy going ..."

Bears' Forte feeling the love

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September 9

Chicago Tribune

"The cell phone buzzed around 1:15 a.m. Monday, and Mike Parenton wanted so much to ignore it. Instead, the Tulane center rolled over inside his off-campus house to hear his former teammate, roommate and close friend Matt Forte on the line. "I was sleeping. I had a 6 a.m. workout," Parenton said. "But you know what? I was so happy for Matt. He could have called me at 4:30 a.m., it wouldn't have mattered." Maybe Forte tempered his enthusiasm immediately afterward, but the Bears running back couldn't help but express his joy to family and friends after Sunday night's 123-yard rushing performance against the Colts—the most yards by a Bears rookie running back in a debut. Forte relived the ..."

Bears rookie runs over Colts for 123 yards, TD

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September 8

Indianapolis Star

"A rookie running back in his NFL debut made the Indianapolis Colts' rushing defense look like a tackle-missing, overpowered mess of years past in Chicago's 29-13 victory Sunday night. Matt Forte, who at this time last year was playing for Tulane, rushed for 123 yards on 23 carries, including a 50-yard touchdown in the opening quarter. "They just outplayed us," said Colts defensive end/tackle Raheem Brock. "We missed a lot of tackles. We missed a lot of assignments." Not only was the 50-yard score the first touchdown at Lucas Oil Stadium, it was the longest against a Colts defense in more than a year -- Miami's Ronnie Brown had a 47-yarder in the 2006 season finale. The Colts' longest rush ..."

Forte shines in debut as Bears stun Colts

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September 8

Chicago Tribune

"After compiling the most rushing yards for a Bears rookie in a debut, Matt Forte calmly sat down at his locker, oblivious to the hype surrounding his 123-yard, one-touchdown performance. "I'm glad we won, but I'm not going to go crazy over it," Forte said after the Bears' surprising 29-13 win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. "It's the first game. It's a 16-game season." Seems as if Forte already has a veteran's savvy. And his confidence was evident all night, particularly after he grabbed a second-quarter pass and absorbed vicious blows from Colts defenders Clint Session and Bob Sanders. They sent Forte out of the game for a few plays and resulted in his left shoulder being ..."

Depth chart says it all: Forte wins starting job

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August 5

Daily Herald

"It didn't take long for rookie running back Matt Forte to claim the starting job. It became official when the depth chart for Thursday's preseason opener was distributed. But Forte hadn't been informed before he was interviewed, so he wasn't taking anything for granted. "I haven't heard that yet, so I'm still in the same mind-set, I'm at the bottom of the totem pole," the second-round pick from Tulane said. "I've got to work my way up." In the off-season and through the first half of training camp, Forte shared the first-team reps with veteran Adrian Peterson, but he has impressed coaches in almost every phase of the game, on the field and in the classroom. According to Forte, though, he's ..."

Matt Forte will start exhibition against Chiefs

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August 5

Chicago Tribune

"As he stopped to answer questions for probably the hundredth time this training camp, Bears rookie running back Matt Forte couldn't help but hear teammate Alex Brown chirping in the background. "Gosh, he hasn't rushed for no yards yet," Brown joked. "He hasn't even got a first down. Let him pick up a third-and-1." Forte will get his chance soon enough. The team's depth chart for Thursday night's exhibition was released, and Forte is scheduled to start at running back against the Kansas City Chiefs. The rookie second-round pick from Tulane had been starting practices with the second team, behind Adrian Peterson, up until Monday. "It's not like he's been running all 2's," running backs coach ..."

RB Forte has starter mentality

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July 30

Chicago Sun-Times

"On consecutive plays Tuesday, rookie running back Matt Forte powered up the middle for a touchdown in goal-line drills, then took a wide pitch and raced into the end zone. The Bears could get used to that. The offense's performance in the goal-line series -- four scores on six plays -- was a welcome effort after another day ruled by defense, and it showcased Forte's ability. He has been running with the second team but gets periodic reps with the starters in place of Adrian Peterson. It will surprise no one if Forte works his way into the starting lineup for the regular season. ''It's all in your mind-set and what you want to be,'' he said. ''I wanted to come out here and compete and go ..."

Forte earning respect for his attitude

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July 29

Chicago Tribune

columnist David Haugh

"Witnesses say it's a good thing rookie running back Matt Forte carries the football better than he can carry a tune. A few days ago Forte stood up in the team dining hall and followed the orders of veteran center Olin Kreutz like all good rookies do. Forte wasn't immune to the NFL rite of passage just because he looks like he will be as important to the offense as any veteran. "You stand and say your name, your school and your signing bonus and then sing the fight song,'' said Forte, a Tulane University product. "At least I knew the words.'' Forte's light-hearted hazing off the field has been complemented by some heavy hits on it. After one inside-run drill Sunday, for example, defensive ..."

Bears' Matt Forte agrees to 4-year deal

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July 3

Chicago Tribune

"Many in the Bears organization have raved about Matt Forte as if he already is assured a Pro Bowl spot in the near future. Offensive coordinator Ron Turner said he is confident enough to use the rookie in any offensive set. Linebackers Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher have gushed about Forte's flashes at practice. Even the guys at the Bachrach clothing store at Woodfield Mall said Alex Brown stopped in and couldn't stop talking about Forte."

Bears' starting RB job looks like Forte's to lose

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June 19

Chicago Sun-Times

"The final practice session of the offseason Wednesday did little to indicate who will be the Bears' starting quarterback Sept. 7 at Indianapolis. At least some names were ruled out at running back. Coach Lovie Smith put the kibosh on the idea that the team will bring in an experienced back, making it clear that rookie second-round pick Matt Forte is being counted on as the starter from Day 1."