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F rom Gale Sayers and Walter Payton to Matt Suhey and Neal Anderson—and let's not forget the legendarily named Bronko Nagurski—the position of run- ning back for the Chicago Bears has been manned by some of the best players in the game's history. It's enough to make a young rookie quake in his cleats. But not Matt Forté, who from his first year on the team in 2008 has played like his name belongs alongside the greats. And after just six seasons, it does: Forté is already in second place on the team's list of all-time leading rushers, behind only the vener- able number 34, Walter Payton. But Forté isn't just f leet of foot; he's also a devoted husband and father of two as well as a proud Chicagoan, whose Matt Forté Foundation provides scholarships for underprivileged Windy City teens. In an exclusive interview for Michigan Avenue, num- ber 22 recently took time out for a banter-filled conversation with fellow NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew of the Oakland Raiders to t a lk footba ll, fat herhood, a nd why Chicago's fans are the best in the world. Maurice Jones-Drew: Matthew Garrett Forté, how've you been? Matt Forté: I'm good, Maurice. Matt, I have a lot of questions here for you, and I'd like you to take them seriously. When did you first know you wanted to play pro football? When I was 7 years old and I first started playing, after my first practice I said to my dad, "I want to play pro- fessional football." He looked at me like, "Anybody can say that." But as he watched me grow up, he saw that I was serious about it. I always wanted to be like him. He played in college, so I wanted to pursue foot- ball because of him. Great answer. And what do you most enjoy about the game? What I enjoy most is the feeling you get at the end of a successful season, because it shows that all the hard work you did in the off-season paid off. And being able to support my family by being a professional ath- lete is something I feel privileged to be able to do. Speaking of hard work, I know you're working hard now to get ready for the season. What are you most excited about this time? Getting another shot at trying to make the Super Bowl—and trying to get to the playoffs. Last year we were in the very last game of the regular season, and that ended with a loss to the Packers. Very bad taste in our mouth from that one. But I'm looking forward to getting back on the field, making our way through the NFC North, getting into the playoffs—and hopefully to the Super Bowl. Speaking of not making the playoffs, what do you love about being a Chicago Bear? [Laughs] The same thing you loved about being in Jacksonville when you were there. We went pretty far one time. [Laughs] Chicago is a great city to play for—and also, when I first got drafted, just looking at the history of the run- ning back position here, with Gale Sayers and Walter Payton and Neal Anderson, being able to follow in those footsteps is cool to do. I just love the city; it's a great city with great fans. What makes Chicago football fans different? They've been so [passionate] about the Bears since even before the '85 Bears [won the Super Bowl]. Tickets have been sold out, I think, since the '60s. So the stadium's always been sold out. The fans are always going to be supportive of us no matter what, and they're always there yelling and screaming, sup- porting us every game. What sets us apart from the other teams is the history behind our team. Local George Halas started the NFL, so there is history behind this organization, and the fans definitely sup- port that history. Right on. Since you were speaking about Gale Sayers and some of the running backs and Bears players, who were some of your favorite players to watch when you were growing up? Well, Gale Sayers is a little bit before our time, but when I first got drafted I watched some of his stuff. Growing up, I used to watch Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, of course Walter Payton—I saw him while I was growing up, and he's obviously one of the best. Who have been your mentors, either on or off the field? I'd say on the field, I think mostly my coaches. I had a great position coach when I first got here: Coach [Tim] Spencer, who was really good. And also get- ting coached by Lovie—Lovie Smith has been a mentor to me. Not to mention that Coach Trestman is a really good mentor, and he actually has a men- torship program, where the older guys mentor some of the younger guys. That's awesome, man. Since you've been here in Chicago, you've had great success as one of the Bears. What are the stats that you're most proud of? Being able to come in as a rookie and break a couple of records was something I'm proud of. [Editor's note: In 2008, Forté broke Bears rookie marks for rushing (1,238 yards on 316 carries), yards from scrimmage (1,715), and receptions (63).] And last year was statistically my best year so far, so I'm proud of that as well. But I've only had one 200-yard rushing game, which was like in my third year, and I'm pretty proud of that, too. I still have the jersey from that game. You should definitely keep that one. What do you think is your greatest strength as a player? Being versatile—being able to run the ball, coming out of the backfield to catch the ball, being involved in the tackling game, and being smart enough to be back there and block. To be a complete running back—this is something you already know—you have to run, block, and catch; that's what I take pride in. That's awesome. If you weren't a running back, what position would you want to play? I would want to play quarterback because— I already know why. Go ahead and give me the answer. They get paid the most. There you go. They're the leaders of the team, too. Every now and then. But they get paid the most. It's unbelievable how much they get paid to be managers, but it's all good. Well, let's start getting serious. We all understand you're a father. How has being a father to Jaden and "[I decided] to set up a foundation where I can help children because the next generation is always coming up, and we need to mentor them. " –matt forté michiganavemag.com 99