Chicago Bears: The Reinventing of Tracy Porter

At the age of 29, cornerback Tracy Porter is all about reinventing himself. A 2008 second-round draft pick out of Indiana University, became the New Orleans Saints prize pick. Unfortunately, after playing only five games, he was placed on injured reserve after dislocating his wrist and couldn’t be the break out rookie he wanted to be. But once Porter was ready to play, he was an integral part of the 2009-2010 Saints defense. It was his forced fumble and interception that clinched the win for the Saints in the 2010 NFC Championship game.

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Nov 26, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears strong safety Tracy Porter (21) makes an interception against Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) during the second half on Thanksgiving at Lambeau Field. The Bears defeat the Packers 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Porter didn’t stop there. In the 2010 Super Bowl against the Indianapolis Colts, a game fueled by the Katrina devastation and a city in need of hope, Porter made his mark, intercepting quarterback Brett Favre (who at the time was playing for the Minnesota Vikings) to clinch the NFC championship game for the Saints.

Then again to win it for the coveted Super Bowl ring, Porter intercepted Peyton Manning in the 4th quarter, returning it for a 74-yard touchdown. The Chicago Bears have two Super Bowl champions on their team, Porter and safety Antrel Rolle, who won with the New York Giants.

Two years later Porter signed with the Denver Broncos to a one-year contract and was looking at another amazing year, until the unthinkable occurred. In preseason of 2012, Porter experience an unexplained seizure.

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By Week 6, Porter was feeling the after effects of the seizure and was not able to play at his peak. Later in the season he suffered a concussion that concluded his time with the Broncos.

In 2013 he signed another single year contract with the Raiders, where he performed his best garnering 53 tackles, 14 assists, 1.5 sacks and 2 interceptions, only to be released after the season was over. He then signed a one-year contract in 2014 with the Washington Redskins and was placed on injured reserve. Porter had now played for four teams wearing the scarlet letter of an injury prone athlete. He still had the ability to make a difference if only someone would give him a chance.

"“(As a team) we don’t want to look to far down the road, because then we can overlook an opponent and then they can come in, you know, that’s how you get beat by a sleeper team, so we definitely want to take each game to heart like a playoff game.-Tracy Porter”"

Enter John Fox, the new head coach of the Chicago Bears. The Bears were all set with Ryan Mundy until he went out with an injury. Fox took a chance on Porter, knowing how well he played with the Broncos and what he could bring to the Bears defense.

He has already made an impact to the team with 20 tackles, one interception, countless pass breakups and one forced fumble. With a team in the stages of rebuilding, a veteran player such as Porter is just what this team needed. Porter is sharp in the backfield and knows what to expect from offenses. He is a huge advocate of communication throughout the game on the field and tries to implement that when he can.

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Porter has solidified his spot on the team by becoming the NBC Madden Player of the Game on Thanksgiving night when Bears beat the Packers in Lambeau Field. He not only intercepted Aaron Rodgers but also smacked the ball out of John James hands in the end zone, in the 4th quarter to save the game. Tracy Porter is the real deal in Chicago and can continue to make an impact in what appears to be a rebirthing of a veteran cornerback on a storied franchise team.

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