Matt Forte facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Matt Forte

Forte with the Chicago Bears in 2008
No. 22
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Born:	(1985-12-10) December 10, 1985 (age 39) Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:	218 lb (99 kg)
Career information
High school:	Slidell (Slidell, Louisiana)
College:	Tulane (2004–2007)
NFL Draft:	2008 / Round: 2 / Pick: 44
Career history
Chicago Bears (2008–2015) New York Jets (2016–2017)
Career highlights and awards
2× Pro Bowl (2011, 2013) PFWA All-Rookie Team (2008) 100 greatest Bears of All-Time Third-team All-American (2007) 2× All-C-USA (2005, 2007)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 9,796 Rushing average: 4.2 Rushing touchdowns: 54 Receptions: 554 Receiving yards: 4,672 Receiving touchdowns: 21
Player stats at PFR

Matthew Garrett Forte (born December 10, 1985) is an American former professional football player. He was a running back for ten seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Matt played college football for the Tulane Green Wave. The Chicago Bears picked him in the second round of the 2008 NFL draft. Forte was known as a "dual-threat" running back. This means he was great at both running with the ball and catching passes. He is one of only three players ever to gain at least 1,000 rushing yards and catch 100 passes in one season. Forte played eight seasons with the Bears. Then, he spent two seasons with the New York Jets.

Early Life and High School Sports

Matt Forte grew up in Slidell, Louisiana. He went to Slidell High School and graduated in 2004. There, he was a star in both football and track.

In football, he was a very strong runner. As a junior, he ran for over 1,000 yards and scored eight touchdowns. He also caught 30 passes for over 300 yards. In his senior year, he was named the best player in his area. He rushed for 1,375 yards and scored 23 touchdowns. Overall, he gained 2,432 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns in his high school career. He also caught 48 passes for 618 yards and five touchdowns.

Matt was also a fast sprinter in track. He had some of the best times in the New Orleans area. He ran the 100 meters in 10.68 seconds and the 200 meters in 22.10 seconds.

College Football Career

Forte played college football at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Tulane is part of Conference USA. He played from 2004 to 2007.

Freshman Season (2004)

As a freshman, Forte shared running duties with another player. He scored his first college touchdown in a game against UAB. His best game was against Army, where he ran for 216 yards and scored three touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass. In total, he had 624 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns that season.

Sophomore Season (2005)

In his second year, Forte got most of the carries for Tulane. He ran for over 100 yards in one game. Overall, he had 655 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. This season was tough for Tulane. They had to play all their games away from home because of Hurricane Katrina.

Junior Season (2006)

Forte started his junior year as the main running back. He had a great game against Mississippi State, rushing for 170 yards and a touchdown. He then had four games in a row where he ran for over 100 yards. He scored six touchdowns during this time. His season ended early when he got injured in November. He finished with 859 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.

Senior Season (2007)

Forte playing at the Superdome in 2007

After his injury, Forte had an amazing senior season. He became the main player for Tulane's offense. He set several school records, including 2,127 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns. He had five games where he ran for over 200 yards. In two of those games, he ran for over 300 yards! He also scored at least four rushing touchdowns in three games.

Forte was second in the entire NCAA for rushing yards and touchdowns that year. He was a top player considered for major awards like the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award. After the college season, Forte played in the 2008 Senior Bowl. He was named the MVP of that game, showing off his skills to NFL scouts.

College Statistics

Here are Matt Forte's college football stats:

College Awards and Honors

• Conference USA All-Freshman (2004)
• 2× All-Conference USA (2005, 2007)
• Third-team AP All-American (2007)
• Senior Bowl MVP (2008)

Professional NFL Career

Matt Forte was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He was the 44th player chosen overall.

Chicago Bears Years (2008–2015)

2008 Season: A Strong Start

Forte takes a handoff from Kyle Orton while playing against the Carolina Panthers in September 2008

Forte quickly became the starting running back for the Bears. In his very first NFL game, he ran for 123 yards and scored a 50-yard touchdown. This set a new team record for most rushing yards in a debut game. He had two more games where he ran for over 100 yards that season.

Forte became the first Bears rookie since 2001 to rush for over 1,000 yards. He set new rookie records for the Bears with 316 carries and 1,238 rushing yards. His total of 1,715 yards from scrimmage (running and receiving combined) was third-best in the NFL. It also broke a team record held by Hall of Famer Gale Sayers. Forte also broke a rookie record for receptions, catching 61 passes.

2009 Season: Consistent Play

Forte attempts to escape from San Francisco 49ers safety Michael Lewis in a 2009 meeting

In 2009, Forte continued to be the main runner for the Bears. He had a big game against the Detroit Lions, rushing for 121 yards and scoring his first touchdown of the season. He finished the year with 929 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. He also caught 57 passes for 471 receiving yards.

2010 Season: Dual-Threat Star

Forte started the 2010 season with a career-best 151 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in one game. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for this performance. In another game, he ran for 166 yards and scored two long touchdowns. He finished the season with 1,616 yards from scrimmage, which was tenth in the NFL.

The Bears made the playoffs that year. Forte played well in the Divisional Round win against the Seattle Seahawks. In the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, he set a Bears playoff record with ten receptions.

2011 Season: Pro Bowl Recognition

Forte during training camp in 2009

Forte started the 2011 season strong as a receiver. In Week 4, he had a career-high 205 rushing yards and a touchdown. He then had four more games with over 100 rushing yards. Through the first part of the season, Forte led the Bears in rushing and receiving yards. He was also leading the entire league in total yards from scrimmage.

He became one of only two players in NFL history to have 700 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards in their first four seasons. Forte was chosen for the 2012 Pro Bowl, which was his first time. He was the first Bears running back to make the Pro Bowl since 1991.

2012 Season: A New Contract

Before the 2012 season, the Bears gave Forte a special "franchise tag." This meant he would play for a high salary for one year. However, Forte wanted a longer contract. He eventually signed a four-year, $32 million deal. He missed one game due to an ankle injury. Forte finished the season with 1,094 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He also had 340 receiving yards.

2013 Season: Setting Records

In 2013, Forte had two long runs of over 50 yards in back-to-back games. This was a first for a Bears running back since 1997. He also passed Rick Casares to become the third all-time leading rusher for the Bears. Only Walter Payton and Neal Anderson had more.

Forte became the first player in Bears history to gain 1,000 yards from scrimmage in each of his first six seasons. He also passed Neal Anderson for second most career rushing yards in Bears history. Forte was named to the 2014 Pro Bowl. He finished the season with a career-high nine rushing touchdowns and 1,933 total yards from scrimmage. This was the second-most in team history, behind only Walter Payton.

2014 Season: Best Receiving Back

In 2014, Forte showed he was one of the best receiving running backs ever. He caught five or more passes in 14 out of 16 games. He even had back-to-back games with ten or more receptions. He finished the season with 102 receptions, which broke an NFL record for running backs. He also rushed for over 1,000 yards for the third year in a row. Only Walter Payton and Neal Anderson had done that for the Bears.

2015 Season: Final Bears Season

Forte started the 2015 season strong with 141 rushing yards and a touchdown in Week 1. However, a knee injury sidelined him for three games. He finished his last season with the Bears with 898 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes for 389 yards.

In February 2016, the Bears announced they would not re-sign Forte. The general manager praised Forte, calling him "one of the all-time great Bears."

New York Jets Years (2016–2017)

2016 Season: Joining the Jets

On March 9, 2016, Forte signed a three-year contract with the New York Jets. In his first game with the Jets, he ran for 96 yards and caught 59 yards. The next week, he ran for 100 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns, tying his career high. He finished his first season with the Jets with 813 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

2017 Season: Injuries and Retirement

Forte struggled with a toe injury early in the 2017 season. He also battled a knee injury for most of the year. He was placed on injured reserve in December. His final professional game was on Christmas Eve. Overall, he finished the 2017 season with 381 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.

Retirement

On February 28, 2018, Matt Forte announced he was retiring from the NFL after 10 seasons. The Chicago Bears honored him and former teammate Devin Hester in April. Both players signed special one-day contracts to officially retire as members of the Bears. The Bears chairman praised Forte as "a superior athlete" and "among the best in a long line of great Bears running backs."

After retiring, Forte joined NBC Sports Chicago as a football analyst. He was ranked 34th on the Chicago Bears' list of the Top 100 greatest Bears of all-time. In 2023, Forte was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

NFL Career Statistics

Here are Matt Forte's professional NFL stats:

Awards and Highlights

• 2× Pro Bowl (2011, 2013)
• 2008 NFL All-Rookie Team
• NFC Offensive Player of the Week (2010)
• Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week (2008)

Chicago Bears Team Records

• Most rush attempts by a rookie (316)
• Most receptions by a rookie (63)
• Most yards from scrimmage by a rookie (1,715)
• Most receptions in a playoff game (10, tied with Allen Robinson)
• Games with at least three touchdowns in a season (2 in 2013, tied with Gale Sayers, Walter Payton, and Neal Anderson)

Personal Life

Matt Forte married Danielle Daniels in August 2011. They have three children: Nahla (born 2013), Matthew Christian (born 2015), and Nia (born 2021). While playing for the Bears, Matt and his family lived in Mettawa, Illinois. His cousin, Andrew Adams, is also a professional football player.

Forte is a Christian. He often talks about his faith, saying he wants people to see more than just football when they look at him. He wants his faith to inspire others.

Matt Forte earned a degree in Finance from Tulane University in May 2009.

Images for kids

• 

  Forte with the Chicago Bears in 2008

• 

  Forte playing at the Superdome in 2007

• 

  Forte takes a handoff from Kyle Orton while playing against the Carolina Panthers in September 2008

• 

  Forte attempts to escape from San Francisco 49ers safety Michael Lewis in a 2009 meeting

• 

  Forte during training camp in 2009

• 

  Forte with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery in 2014

See also

In Spanish: Matt Forte para niños