Running back is a special position in Chicago. Half of the 14 numbers retired by the organization belonged to running backs. Some will say that any candidate for “favorite running back” should belong to that elite crowd. Gale Sayers, Brian Piccolo, and Walter Payton are all fine candidates.
However, the fact is that I was not watching professional football during their careers, at least not in any meaningful way. It would be dishonest for me to claim one of them as my favorite—I might as well invoke Red Grange or Bronco Nagurski. The truth of the matter is that Matt Forte is my not only my favorite Bears’ running back, but also one of my favorite professional athletes overall.