Forte to be Inducted to Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
Sep 14, 2022 | Football
NATCHITOCHES – Former Tulane star running back Matt Forte will be inducted to the 2023 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, the organization announced on Wednesday.
The 2023 Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, July 27, with a press conference and reception. The three-day festivities include two receptions, a free youth sports clinic, a bowling party, and a Friday night riverbank concert in Natchitoches. Tickets for the Induction Ceremony, along with congratulatory advertising and sponsorship opportunities, are available now through the LaSportsHall.com website.
The class will be showcased as the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum celebrates its 10th anniversary. The facility is operated by the Louisiana State Museum system in a partnership with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
The striking two-story, 27,500-square-foot structure faces Cane River Lake in the National Historic Landmark District of Natchitoches and has garnered worldwide architectural acclaim and rave reviews for its contents since its grand opening during the 2013 Hall of Fame induction weekend.
A former Tulane star, Forte, who starred at Slidell High School, was one of the NFL's top dual threat running backs during his 10-year career with the Chicago Bears (2008-15) and New York Jets (2016-17). He retired at the age of 32 in Feb. 2018 with 9,796 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns while he caught 554 passes for 4,672 yards and 21 TDs for a total of 14,468 yards from scrimmage with 75 TDs.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Forte was a second-round pick (No. 44 overall) of the Bears in 2008 and became a five-time 1,000-yards rusher. In 2014, he rushed for 1,038 yards and caught 102 passes for 808 yards and is one of three backs in NFL history with 1,000 rushing yards and 100 catches in a season (LaDainian Tomlinson, 2003; Christian McCaffrey, 2018). At Tulane, Forte had a breakout season as a senior with a school-record 2,127 rushing yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry with a school-record 23 TDs. His 4,265 rushing yards are second in school annals behind Mewelde Moore's 4,364 yards. A two-time All-Conference USA pick, Forte was MVP of the 2008 Senior Bowl.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame already includes 25 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, 18 Olympic medalists including 11 gold medal winners, 12 members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, seven of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, seven National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 42 College Football Hall of Fame members, nine National High School Hall of Fame enshrinees, jockeys with a combined 16 Triple Crown victories, six world boxing champions, nine Women's Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinees, seven College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 10 College Basketball Hall of Fame members, four NBA Finals MVPs, four winners of major professional golf championships, five National Museum of (Thoroughbred) Racing and Hall of Fame inductees and two Super Bowl MVPs.
Anyone can receive quarterly e-mails about the 2023 Induction Celebration and other Hall of Fame news by signing up on the LaSportsHall.com website.
The 2023 Induction Celebration will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors. For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com. Standard and customized sponsorships are available.
The 2023 Induction Celebration will kick off Thursday, July 27, with a press conference and reception. The three-day festivities include two receptions, a free youth sports clinic, a bowling party, and a Friday night riverbank concert in Natchitoches. Tickets for the Induction Ceremony, along with congratulatory advertising and sponsorship opportunities, are available now through the LaSportsHall.com website.
The class will be showcased as the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum celebrates its 10th anniversary. The facility is operated by the Louisiana State Museum system in a partnership with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
The striking two-story, 27,500-square-foot structure faces Cane River Lake in the National Historic Landmark District of Natchitoches and has garnered worldwide architectural acclaim and rave reviews for its contents since its grand opening during the 2013 Hall of Fame induction weekend.
A former Tulane star, Forte, who starred at Slidell High School, was one of the NFL's top dual threat running backs during his 10-year career with the Chicago Bears (2008-15) and New York Jets (2016-17). He retired at the age of 32 in Feb. 2018 with 9,796 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns while he caught 554 passes for 4,672 yards and 21 TDs for a total of 14,468 yards from scrimmage with 75 TDs.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Forte was a second-round pick (No. 44 overall) of the Bears in 2008 and became a five-time 1,000-yards rusher. In 2014, he rushed for 1,038 yards and caught 102 passes for 808 yards and is one of three backs in NFL history with 1,000 rushing yards and 100 catches in a season (LaDainian Tomlinson, 2003; Christian McCaffrey, 2018). At Tulane, Forte had a breakout season as a senior with a school-record 2,127 rushing yards and averaged 5.9 yards per carry with a school-record 23 TDs. His 4,265 rushing yards are second in school annals behind Mewelde Moore's 4,364 yards. A two-time All-Conference USA pick, Forte was MVP of the 2008 Senior Bowl.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame already includes 25 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, 18 Olympic medalists including 11 gold medal winners, 12 members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, seven of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, seven National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 42 College Football Hall of Fame members, nine National High School Hall of Fame enshrinees, jockeys with a combined 16 Triple Crown victories, six world boxing champions, nine Women's Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinees, seven College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 10 College Basketball Hall of Fame members, four NBA Finals MVPs, four winners of major professional golf championships, five National Museum of (Thoroughbred) Racing and Hall of Fame inductees and two Super Bowl MVPs.
Anyone can receive quarterly e-mails about the 2023 Induction Celebration and other Hall of Fame news by signing up on the LaSportsHall.com website.
The 2023 Induction Celebration will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame. The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors. For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com. Standard and customized sponsorships are available.
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