Forte Weighed Down with Opener, Storm

While it would seem like rookie running back Matt Forte has enough to worry about, this weekend added another level of concern for the young player.  On top of preparing to be the first rookie running back since Walter Payton to start in the season opener, Forte was also plagued with thoughts about his friends and family in his home state of Louisiana.  As Hurricane Gustav charged toward the coast, the Tulane alum waited for the worst. He told the Chicago Tribune, “I just felt nervous that something like Katrina would happen again. I’ve just been praying that the storm gets weaker and there’s not as much damage as last time. I think about it a lot. I’ve been calling my old teammates, making sure they evacuated.”

Luckily for Forte and everyone else in the state, the storm weakened and didn’t blast the cities as was predicted. With relief, he can now turn his attention to the opener against the tough Indianapolis Colts on September 7. The preseason wasn’t exactly rosy for the Bears, but they are looking to show the league what they are really made out of at Sunday’s matchup.  Get your Chicago Bears tickets at StubHub.com.

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