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© 2025 COLD WIRE MEDIA. THE COLD WIRE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF COLD WIRE MEDIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. USE OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OUR TERMS OF USE AND PRIVACY POLICY

Tuesday, August 25, 2026

The Life And Career Of Matt Forte

Ben Donahue
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The Life And Career Of Matt Forte
(Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

 

The Chicago Bears have had an abundance of great running backs in team history.

In the early years of the NFL, Bronko Nagurski pounded tacklers into roadkill.

Gale Sayers was a Bear from the mid-1960s through the early 1970s and was alleged to have eyes in the back of his head while slipping out of a defender’s grasp.

As every pro football fan is well aware, Walter Payton established himself as one of the best backs in league history.

“Sweetness” was so sweet that he set the all-time NFL rushing yards record (since broken by Emmitt Smith) and helped Chicago win its first Super Bowl in 1985.

Neal Anderson came next and did fairly well despite following a legend.

Then there was Matt Forte.

When he came on the scene as a second-round pick in 2008, Forte wasn’t widely known outside of Conference USA.

As it turned out, the running back’s forte (pun intended) was equal parts runner and receiver.

In a career that spanned 10 years (eight with Chicago), Forte rushed for over 1,000 yards five times and caught 50 or more passes in six of those seasons.

His 2014 season alone raised eyebrows when the running back rushed for 1,038 yards and caught an astounding 102 passes, including at least five receptions in every game but two.

Furthermore, Forte’s reception mark set a single-season NFL record for running backs at the time.

Although the ‘14 season cemented Forte as one of the best and most versatile backs in league history, NFL fans only had a single opportunity to watch him in the postseason.

Despite the Bears mostly wasting his athletic talent with a subpar supporting cast, Forte ended his career as the second-leading rusher in team history.

He has since been included in the list of the 100 Greatest Bears of All-Time.

This is the story of Matt Forte.

 

Slidell’s Athletic Marvel

Matthew Garrett Forte was born on December 10, 1985, in St. Charles, Louisiana.

He was born into an athletic family, as his father, Gene, played college ball at Tulane University and was even a captain of the Green Wave in 1977.

Forte’s older brother, Bryan, also played football and would matriculate to play at McNeese State.

With so much of the family’s life centered on the sport, it was only natural that Matt wanted to play football.

However, his father waited until he was seven and after the family had relocated to Slidell, Louisiana.

“I remember the day we signed up, and they give you your helmet and shoulder pads, and I think I slept in the pads that night,” he said in 2025. “I went out to the practice field and in the first contact drill I got knocked on my back.”

Instead of staying on the ground and sulking, Forte bounced up and went back to work.

That would be a small glimpse of the tenacity that would be a hallmark for the rest of his football life.

When he finally reached Slidell High School, word had spread that Forte was a special kid.

 

Piling Up Yards

Around the same time Forte arrived at the school, then-head coach Wayne Grubb changed the offense from the Wing T to the Spread.

The switch from a run-based to a pass-heavy offense was perfectly suited for Forte.

Once Grubb and the coaches got a look at Forte’s ability to both run and catch passes, they tailored the offense through him.

“Our offense was built around him. We ran draw plays, power plays, screens. It was built around Matt and his abilities,” said Grubb.

Forte lined up in the backfield and in the slot on some passing plays.

As a junior, he rushed for 1,057 yards and eight touchdowns and caught 30 passes for 365 yards and three more touchdowns.

The Tigers went undefeated in the regular season and won a couple of playoff games before succumbing to West Monroe High School in the state quarterfinals.

Then, as a senior, Forte reached another level with 1,375 yards rushing (6.7 yards per carry) and a ridiculous 23 touchdowns and paired those numbers with 18 catches for 253 yards and two scores.

He was named the St. Tammany Parish Player of the Year, an All-Metro selection, and District 5-5A Offensive MVP.

Further evidence of his talent was Forte’s 10.68 in the 100-meter dash and 22.10 in the 200-meter dash for the Tigers’ track team.

Even more telling, Forte was on Slidell High’s honor roll.

 

Signing With Tulane

It seemed only fitting that Forte’s outstanding athletic accomplishments would translate into endless college interest.

Not so much.

Somehow, Forte was listed as a two-star fullback and just the 89th best prospect in Louisiana.

At the time, LSU and then-head coach Nick Saban had some interest before focusing elsewhere.

That left few other choices, although one was Tulane, his father’s alma mater.

“The only two scholarship offers I had were from Tulane and McNeese State, where my brother (Bryan) played,” Forté said. “The way it worked out, going to Tulane ended up perfect because I got to follow in the footsteps of my father, which not many people get to do, but also Tulane was the perfect place to get a great education.”

After signing with the Green Wave, one scouting service labeled Forte as Tulane’s 17th-best recruit.

 

Turning Heads

Shortly after fall camp started in 2004, the Tulane coaches realized their new running back was much better than advertised.

“I thought he was going to be good,” said Greg Davis Jr., Tulane’s running backs coach during Forté’s days. “It took me about four days into fall camp [his first preseason in 2004] for me to realize that he had a chance to be REAL good.”

When camp broke for the 2004 season, Forte was listed second on the running back depth chart behind Jovon Jackson.

He had decent numbers until Jackson got hurt during a November 6 tilt against Navy.

Jackson’s injury put Forte as the starting back against Army on November 13.

Green Wave fans watched as the new kid dashed for 216 yards and three scores and caught three passes for 67 yards and another touchdown.

Tulane prevailed, 45-31.

A star was born as the freshman finished the season with 624 rushing yards and four touchdowns along with 20 receptions for 180 yards and two more touchdowns.

Conference-USA added Forte to its All-Freshman team.

 

Modest Numbers

Just weeks before the Green Wave’s 2005 season began, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and laid waste to everything it touched.

Part of the destruction included the Louisiana Superdome, where Tulane played its home games.

The damage was extensive enough that the team was forced to play “home” games in five other Louisiana locations and Alabama.

Although the program began the season 2-1, it ended the year with a 2-9 record.

Forte led the Green Wave with 655 rushing yards and scored five combined touchdowns and was chosen for the All-Conference-USA team.

In 2006, Tulane was back home in the Superdome, but still only won four games.

One of the highlights of the disappointing season was Forte, who had several 100-yard rushing days before a season-ending injury against Marshall on November 4.

His totals included 859 yards and eight scores on the ground and 28 receptions for a career-high 360 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Breakthrough

American Football Field

 

The 2007 college football season began with Tulane getting a new coach in Bob Toledo, the former head coach at UCLA from 1996 through 2002.

Having ended his junior year early because of a knee injury, Forte was ready to roll in ‘07.

“That knee injury taught me about ups and downs in life,” Forté remembered. “You can’t put all your emotions into one incident. When something does happen, if you put in the hard work, you can get yourself out of it. That propelled me going forward; my goal for my senior year was to be in the best shape. I was ready if they wanted me to carry the ball every time.”

Tulane and Coach Toledo were ready.

The Green Wave only won four times again for the second year in a row, but Forte was not the problem.

During a contest against Southeast Louisiana on September 22, the senior set program single-game records with 303 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-27 win.

On October 20 against SMU, Forte broke his own single-game rushing yards record by busting loose for 342 yards and four touchdowns.

Forte’s season included five games with over 200 rushing yards and three contests where he had at least four rushing scores.

When the smoke cleared, Forte finished his final collegiate year with 2,127 yards (second in the NCAA that season and the 11th FBS player ever to reach 2,000-yards in a season) and 23 touchdowns.

He added 32 catches for 282 yards.

Forte was named to the All-Conference-USA team for the second time and was selected as a third-team All-American.

Additionally, he was a finalist for the Doak Walker, Walter Camp, and Maxwell awards.

 

Second Rounder

NFL coaches can be a fickle bunch.

Forte ended his college career with 4,265 yards and 39 touchdowns on the ground and 103 receptions for 985 yards and five scores through the air.

Apparently, pro scouts and coaches weren’t very impressed.

“He lasted until the second round, which is ridiculous,” Tulane radio play-by-play man Todd Graffagnini told Nola.com. “He’s a first-round talent, and they didn’t draft him because he played at Tulane. Obviously a lot of people made a mistake.”

Before Forte was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 44th overall pick in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, five other running backs were picked ahead of him, all in the first round.

They included Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Felix Jones, Rashard Mendenhall and Chris Johnson (the last three were drafted back-to-back-to-back).

“You definitely hear it and see it, what the pundits are saying,” Forté said about the doubters. “It just adds fuel to the fire. When I came in, I had that extra chip on my shoulder – not for them, but for myself. I knew what I could do.”

None of the five backs picked before him rushed for more career yards than Forte (although Johnson ran for over 2,000 yards in his second season).

 

Outstanding Rookie Year

American Football on Field

 

Chicago desperately needed a lead back in 2008, especially after releasing Cedric Benson during the summer.

Forte was elevated to the starting lineup at the end of training camp and started every game, finishing the Bears’ 9-7 season with 316 carries for 1,238 yards and eight touchdowns along with 63 catches for 477 yards and four touchdowns.

His attempts, rushing yards, and 1,715 combined yards all set Chicago rookie records.

Forte also set a team record for most rushing yards in his debut game with 123 yards against Indianapolis in Week 1, and was chosen for the PFWA All-Rookie Team after the season.

“A lot of the (college) coaches who came in to recruit Matt, they were worried about his speed,” Grubb [Forte’s high school coach] said. “Against the Colts … he outran everybody in the secondary. That told me Matt could run with everybody in the NFL.”

 

Running Tough

During the first three weeks of the 2009 season, Forte found the going tough when he gained just 150 yards total on the ground.

Beginning in Week 4, however, he broke loose and finished the Bears’ 7-9 season with 1,400 combined yards from scrimmage and four rushing scores.

In 2010, Chicago had just the right roster to take the team into the postseason.

The Bears had reached Super Bowl XLI following the 2006 season but lost to the Indianapolis Colts, 29-17.

Three playoff-less years followed and had fans gloomy and pining for a return to greatness.

So, when Chicago wasn’t expected to do much in 2010, the franchise stunned their fanbase and the sports world alike.

Quarterback Jay Cutler had arrived as a free agent from Denver in 2009 and passed for over 3,200 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2010.

Receivers Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett and tight end Greg Olson caught a plethora of passes from Cutler, and Forte blasted through openings for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns.

He also hauled in 51 passes for 547 yards and three touchdowns.

Combined with a fourth-ranked defense featuring Julius Peppers and Brian Urlacher, the Bears went 11-5, and then beat Seattle in the divisional round with Forte contributing 134 total yards in a 35-24 victory.

A week later, he set a franchise record as the only player in Chicago’s playoff history with a minimum of 10 catches in a 21-14 loss to Green Bay.

 

Mr. Reliable

Little did Forte know at the time, but he would never again taste the excitement of playoff football in his career.

One year after Chicago’s run to the NFC Championship game, the Bears went 8-8 while Forte continued making a name for himself.

During a Week 4 date against Carolina, he rumbled for 205 yards and a touchdown, his highest ever single-game rushing total.

In Week 9 against Philadelphia, the running back became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 900 yards and have at least 400 receiving yards in his first four pro seasons.

Unfortunately, Forte was injured in a Week 13 loss to Kansas City and missed the rest of the season.

Still, he was voted to his first Pro Bowl after totals of 997 yards and three scores on the ground and 490 yards and a touchdown receiving.

Before the following season, Forte held out for a better contract and eventually signed a four-year deal worth $32 million.

He then ran for 1,094 yards and five touchdowns and added 44 receptions for 340 yards and another score in Chicago’s 10-6 season.

 

Eye-Opening 2014

Before the 2013 season, the Bears let head coach Lovie Smith go and hired Marc Trestman in his place.

The result was an 8-8 record.

Forte started every game and had a fantastic year.

On the ground, he reached career highs with 1,339 yards and nine touchdowns and added 74 receptions for 594 yards and three touchdowns.

Along the way, Forte became the first player in team history to reach 1,000 yards from scrimmage in his first six seasons.

In late November, he passed Neal Anderson for the second most career rushing yards in the organization’s history.

A second Pro Bowl awaited him after the season.

Then, just when it looked like Forte couldn’t possibly get any better, along came 2014.

As the Bears went a disappointing 5-11, number 22 rushed for 1,038 yards, his third consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, tying Walter Payton and Anderson as the only Chicago players to reach that mark three straight years.

Forte also collected six rushing touchdowns and caught an earth-shattering 102 passes for 808 yards and four touchdowns.

During 14 games that year, Forte caught at least five or more passes, including 12-catch and 10-catch games.

His reception total bested former back Larry Centers’ single-season record and wouldn’t be broken until Christian McCaffrey did so in 2018.

 

Leaving for the Big Apple

Coach Trestman was canned after the 2014 season, and former Carolina and Denver head coach John Fox took his place.

Chicago won six times while a knee injury limited Forte to 13 starts, 898 yards and four touchdowns rushing, and 44 catches for 389 yards and three touchdowns.

In mid-February 2016, the Bears announced that they would not re-sign Forte, and he became a free agent.

The New York Jets signed him in March for three years and $12 million, and the back’s first year in the Big Apple was productive.

A few big games put fans on their feet, but another knee injury in December limited Forte to 14 games, 813 yards and seven touchdowns rushing, and a career-low 30 catches for 263 yards and a score.

The Jets went 5-11 that season under head coach Todd Bowles and another 5-11 season followed in 2017.

That season, Bilal Powell limited Forte to just four starts, and the veteran’s stats reflected the lack of reps with 381 yards and two touchdowns on the ground along with 37 receptions, 293 yards, and one touchdown through the air.

 

Forte Retires

Retirement

 

In late February 2018, Forte retired from the NFL and two months later signed a one-day contract with Chicago to officially retire as a Bear.

“After much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to retire from the NFL,” Forté wrote as part of his heartfelt message to his fans. “I will cherish the many memories made on the field and the lifelong friends I’ve made over the years in the locker room.”

During his career, Forte rushed for 9,796 yards and 54 touchdowns and caught 554 passes for 4,672 yards and 21 touchdowns.

He also reached 1,000 combined rushing and receiving yards in every season, but his last, and his 8,602 rushing yards, is second only to Payton on the Bears’ career rushing yards list.

Forte was a two-time Pro Bowler, a member of the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2008, and would eventually be chosen for Pro Football Reference’s 2010s All-Decade Team and added to the list of the 100 Greatest Bears of All-Time.

The former running back is also a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame.

 

Life After Football

While playing in the NFL, Forte gave back to the Chicago community by helping coach flag football during the summers and helping kids and families get access to food and equipment.

He has also helped his former community in Slidell with football camps, monetary and equipment donations.

In 2016, during a ceremony where Forte gave a check to help the Slidell High football program, the school turned around and announced it was retiring Forte’s high school number.

“I love to give back to these kids,” Forte said following the jersey retirement. “When I grew up here, I looked up to professional athletes. I know how much of an impact I have on these kids, and we can propel them forward in their lives.”

Forte continues to give back through his work with Pro Athletic Outreach, Biblica Ministry, and the “What’s Your Forte Foundation” that the NFL veteran and his wife, Danielle, founded to help kids and their families.

Additionally, he wrote a memoir titled “Stay in the Game: Making the Most of Every Season.”

 

References

https://www.sports-reference.com

https://www.foxsports.com

https://www.newyorkjets.com

https://www.chicagobears.com

shreveportbossierjournal.com

https://www.chicagobears.com

https://news.tulane.edu

https://allstatesugarbowl.org

lasportshall.com

https://tulanegreenwave.com

https://www.pro-football-reference.com

NEXT:  The Life And Career Of Mark Carrier

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Pro Football History Staff
Ben Donahue
Contributor at Pro Football History
Over 25 years of experience in sports including coach, athletic director, game day operations, media relations, football operations, and scout. He is [...]

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