Cam Porter ready to carry the load
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Cam Porter talked about "starting fast and finishing hard" as one of his of his mantras for the 2021 season.
Based on last season, he has the finishing part down. Starting fast is where things might be different this season.
In his college debut as a true freshman against Maryland in 2020, Porter got only two carries. His biggest impact came on kick coverage, where he made a tackle and recovered a fumble.
Fast-forward less than two months and Porter was plunging into the end zone to give Northwestern the lead in the Big Ten Championship Game.
In a span of nine weeks, Porter went from reserve running back and special teams player to starting running back and focal point of the offense. It didn't matter to him, though. His preparation never changed.
"The biggest thing was continuing to understand that your number can be called at any time," Porter said at Big Ten Media Days on Thursday at Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium, the same venue as that conference title game. "Always prepare like you're the starter, even if you're not."
Once Porter took over at running back, he made his presence felt. He ran for 301 yards and made four trips to paydirt over the Cats' final three games. Not only did he score a touchdown in the Big Ten Championship Game, but he left a lasting impression on at least one of his opponents.
Former Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard ranked Porter as the third-toughest guy to tackle that he played in his career, behind two of the best running backs in college football history, Saquon Barkley and Jonathan Taylor. That's pretty good company for a guy who was making his first career college start in that game.
"(Hilliard's list) kind of caught me off guard," Porter said. "It was super cool to see that list, but it doesn't really mean nothing. You've got to bring it, year in and year out."
NU needed Porter to step up, too. Running back has been a revolving door at times for Northwestern in recent years, after all-time leading rusher Justin Jackson departed after the 2017 season.
"(Porter is) a dynamic player," head coach Pat Fitzgerald said. "To see what he's been able to accomplish with the ball in his hands is spectacular. We've been looking for consistency there since Justin went on to the NFL. I think Cam and Evan (Hull) really provide that.”
Now that Porter is the unquestioned starter entering the season, his body will have to go through the grind of playing at least 12 games. Porter has spent his offseason getting as strong as possible to be able to hold up to all the hits he will take in a full season.
Porter also put additional focus on finding hidden yards, so he can "make the most out of every single play." Finding hidden yards was one of Jackson's specialties, but Porter and Jackson are very different runners, so Porter hasn't watched a ton of Jackson's film. His two favorite backs to watch are Josh Jacobs of the Las Vegas Raiders and Javonte Williams, who was just drafted in the second round by the Denver Broncos after running for 1,140 yards and 19 touchdowns at North Carolina last season.
Porter is very humble for someone who made the preseason Doak Walker Award watch list. When asked about taking over the bell cow duties, he mentioned all of his fellow running backs and how talented they all are. He doesn't want the spotlight on him -- unless it's after he scored a touchdown, of course.
Porter's humility and doing what the team needs is part of what makes him so special.
"His willingness as a running back covering kicks in his first couple games, it's incredibly unselfish," Fitzgerald said. "He's a tremendous teammate. He's got the potential to be one of our best (running backs)."