One of the great defensive backs in IU football history, who made one of the greatest plays in Super Bowl history, officially went into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame this weekend.
Tracy Porter, a Saints cornerback from 2008-11 was an NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl XLIV hero during the 2009 season.
“Words can’t describe what that means and how excited I am that my hometown team, that I helped bring our first championship to, is recognizing me in this way and giving me these accolades,” he said during his induction speech.
During his four seasons in New Orleans, Porter had seven interceptions, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 37 pass breakups and 227 tackles in 43 games, with 39 starts. He etched his name in franchise history with an interception against the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game to force overtime in a 31-28 victory, and a pick against the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV he returned 74 yards for a touchdown in the 31-17 win.
Briefly after the Super Bowl victory, his hometown of Port Allen, La., became “Porter Allen.”
Porter was a four-year starter at IU from 2004-2007.
“Blessed to go to Indiana, go Hoosiers,” Porter said in his opening remarks this weekend.
He became the first player in school history to return a punt, an interception and a fumble for a touchdown in his career. As a senior, Porter became the first Hoosier since Mark Sutor in 1982 to record six or more interceptions in a season. He would close out his career with sixteen interceptions, three short of the school all-time record of nineteen by Tim Wilbur (1978-82). He amassed 413 yards on those interception returns, breaking the previous Indiana career-record of 360 yards by Wilbur. He also became just the third player in Big Ten Conference history to gain over 400 yards on interception returns.
He was drafted in the second-round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Saints.
Porter played a total of nine NFL seasons (2008-16), also spending time with Denver, Oakland, Washington and Chicago. He amassed 13 interceptions and three touchdowns over his pro career.
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