After season of battling injuries, Forte ready to go

BOURBONNAIS - There were all kinds of conspiracy theories last year as to why Matt Forte wasn't the same player he was as a rookie in 2008.

The second-round pick (44th overall) out of Tulane burst on the scene with franchise rookie records for rushing yards (1,238) and yards from scrimmage (1,715), while catching a team-high 63 passes.

He tied for the NFL lead with 88 first downs.

But last year Forte's yards per carry dipped from 3.9 to 3.6, his touchdowns from 12 to 4, and he looked noticeably slower and not as quick as a year earlier.

Some blamed the 379 touches Forte had as a rookie for wearing him down. Others blamed the offensive line for not creating enough running room. Still others used the sophomore-jinx cliché.

The answer was simple.

"I came into camp injured (partially torn hamstring during OTAs) and suffered a knee injury during the season," Forte said. "I really wasn't healthy the whole season."

Forte never used the injuries as an excuse throughout a season in which he was constantly criticized. He never even mentioned the injuries, but that's the kind of guy he is.

"Matt's a solid individual," said Bears running back coach Tim Spencer. "He's obviously not my son, but I have (two sons), and if you could model yourself after that young man right there, I tell you, he's first class all the way."

The knee injury, a sprained medial collateral ligament, robbed Forte of his quickness, acceleration and cutting ability.

In other words, almost everything that makes him special as a running back.

"When you can't make the type of cuts that you want to and have that burst, that really hampers your running style," Forte said. "And with my running style, there are a lot of power cuts and acceleration.

"Once your acceleration is down, your (performance) is not going to be where you want it to be."

The knee injury occurred in Week 3 against Seattle, about the time he was getting past the hamstring injury.

The lack of burst was evident in the numbers: Forte did not have a run longer than 16 yards in any game last year that wasn't against the woeful Detroit Lions.

A week or two on the sidelines might have given his knee a chance to heal, but Forte says it wasn't bad enough that he couldn't play.

"I figured if I can play, I'm going to go out there and play," he said.

"I wanted to play. I'm not going to sit on the bench and watch everybody else go out there. You have to play through injuries. This is the NFL, and people get injured.

"I don't make excuses. I just go out there and try to do my best on the field, so that's what I did."

His best looks a lot better this year. The quickness and speed that impressed as a rookie are back, and so are the acceleration and cutting ability.

"Physically, he's in probably the best shape he's been in," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "You need to be in tiptop shape, and he's there, he's focused, he's put himself in a position where he deserves to have a good year by the way he has worked."

This year, for the first time, Forte has a proven NFL veteran to compete with in Chester Taylor, but there's no animosity, and Forte still is the starter.

"Competition breeds success," Forte said. "Me and him are out there every day doing our best to make each other better for the team."

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