By Brian Vornberg

In 2004, Tracy Porter came all the way to Indiana from Port Allen, Louisiana. Having just two years of organized football experience under his belt, no one really knew what to expect. Porter expected that he might be playing basketball within a couple of years. Four years later, the Hoosiers are glad that the kid from the south decided to come up north.

Tracy Porter - CB, Indiana (5'11", 185, 4.4)

Porter came out of high school on a high as he collected an astonishing 11 interceptions during his senior year at Port Allen High School. He was also averaging 47.0 yards per kickoff return and 28.0 yards per punt return. He played on the basketball team as well, his first true love for a sport. Simply put, Porter was the definition of extreme athleticism. Not always the biggest, but definitely the most athletic.

In his first year at Indiana, Porter earned All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors as he hauled in 3 interceptions and 6 pass breakups. He was one of only two players to see action for the Hoosiers as a true freshman. Porter even spent some time as the starter at point guard for the Hoosiers basketball squad.

Fast forward to 2007, this was Porter’s senior season. He finished the season with career highs in both tackles (83) and interceptions (6). In doing this, Porter also finished 2nd at Indiana all-time for career interceptions with 16 in his four years there. Among other honors, including a spot as a team captain, Porter also earned All-Big Ten accolades. Not a bad way to cap off a stellar career, if you ask me.

After the season had finished, Porter earned a spot in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama along with teammate Tim Bugg. Coming up on this year’s NFL Draft, most experts have Porter plugged firmly into the list of top 10 cornerbacks. He’s a likely Day One pick. Porter’s undeniable playmaking abilities are his most prized attribute. He has run as fast as a 4.39 in the forty and should thrive once he has an opportunity to have some real help surrounding him, unlike his situation at Indiana. Among teams looking to add a defensive back this year should be the New Orleans Saints, who Porter claims as his favorite team. Could they take a chance on him as high as the 1st round? Will they wait and see if they can get him in the 2nd round? It just might pay off for them in the long run. We’ll have to wait and see.

Where Porter might end up:
Baltimore Ravens - 2nd Round