Forté Gives Old-School Attitude And Influence
Nov 12, 2007 | Football
Nov. 11, 2007
Link To Times Picayune Article
By Peter Finney
New Orleans Times Picayune
He's a throwback all right, that's what Matt Forté is, enough of a throwback to bring back two names of Tulane Hall of Famers out of the history book.
When college football's leading rusher scored his 38th touchdown in the Green Wave's 34-19 victory over Texas-El Paso on Saturday night, he became Tulane's all-time career touchdown leader, passing Bill Banker, a hero on the school's 1932 Rose Bowl team.
With 17 touchdowns this season, Mr. Forté now needs three more end zone entries to pass Charles "Peggy" Flournoy, a hero on the unbeaten 1925 Greenies who declined an invitation to play in the Rose Bowl.
So much for ancient history.
In his four years wearing a Tulane uniform, history will record that Matt Forté did not go bowling.
The memory the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder will leave behind will carry more weight than mere statistics.
The memory will be more of a workhorse, who Saturday night carried the ball 38 times for 171 yards, who this season has carried the ball more than 30 times in six games, who, against the UTEP, was running as hard on his 38th carry for no gain in the final two minutes as he was for 12 yards on his first.
"He's the classic warrior," said Coach Bob Toledo, "one of a kind, an inspiration to every one around him."
"Matt has been like a big brother to me," said Jeremy Williams, whose eight catches for 188 yards, two for touchdowns, was the ninth best performance by a receiver in school history. "Matt was always pushing me to get better, to focus, in the weight room, in practice. That's what I'll remember about him."
What the UTEP Miners will remember is a Tulane team that jumped out, 17-0, but hung tough when the visitors pulled within a touchdown.
With two games remaining, against Rice and East Carolina, what Toledo will remember about a team that is now 3-and-7, are bitter losses to Army (on a Hail Mary pass) and Memphis (when a chip-shot field missed that would have given his team a 9-point lead with less than three minutes to go).
"But that's all part of the game," he said. "For me, it's been a treat to coach these guys."
Despite the gaping hole that will be left by Forté's departure, Toledo looks over the horizon and sees a "better football team that will have better balance."
You hear names.
Like Joe Kemp, a 6-3, 215-pound quarterback out of North Richland Hills, Tex. who spent his freshman season, at least in the mind of the head coach, winning "all-scout squad" honors. Toledo has been impressed with Kemp's accuracy, impressed enough to make him a member of the traveling squad, anxious enough to toss him into next season's quarterback mix that has had three sharing time since the opening game.
And you hear Andre Agers, a 5-9, 169-pound running back out of Irving, Tex., who spent his redshirt year impressing Toledo with his "scatback qualities, his quickness and vision running the ball."
Toledo liked the way Andy Nierman, a 6-2, 295-pound offensive lineman out of John Curtis, stepped in and became an immediate starter, going from blocking for blue-chipper Joe McKnight to opening some daylight for Forte.
He liked the way another freshman offensive lineman blossomed, 6-3, 308-pound Joey Ray of Big Spring, Tex.
At fullback, he was pleased with the play of a couple of incoming rookies, Jordan Stephany, a 6-foot, 240-pounder out of Hahnville High and Ruston's Cody Blackwelder, 6-1 and 220.
At tight end, he's optimistic about the return of 6-3, 252-pound Antoine Duplessis out of Holy Cross, whose freshman season was ended by a knee injury in the third game. "From what I saw," said Toledo, "he can be a big plus in the passing game."
This from a coach who likes to say, "you run for yards and pass for miles."
On the other side of the football, all starting linebackers return, the secondary loses one starter, but Toledo will be looking to replace three of the four starters up front.
"It's obvious what our defensive problems have been," said the coach. "We've got to do a much better job covering people and putting pressure on the quarterback. It's that simple."
The list of impressive new faces includes tackle Justin Adams, 5-11 and 255, of Missouri City, Tex. and cornerback Phil Davis, 5-10 and 160, of Suwanee, Ga., and safety Devin Holland, 6-0 and 196, of Ellenwood, Ga.
"Believe me, I'm excited," Toledo said. "As of now, we've got 11 recruiting commitments, nine of them in-state. The season isn't over and I'm already looking ahead to spring practice."
He's already looking ahead to a schedule that is anything but powder-puff.
"Next year we play LSU and Alabama on the road," he said. "In '09, we play them in the Superdome. Hey, man, we gotta get better. And we will."
