MIAMI — Before getting on the team bus to go to the Super Bowl, Tracy Porter sat in the Saints’ downtown Miami hotel, getting his head shaved by his regular New Orleans barber.
Patches of hair left on Porter’s mostly bald head included a rendering of the Louisiana Superdome, connected by a road to the Vince Lombardi Trophy, as well as “SB 44,” a reference to the Saints’ meeting with the Indianapolis Colts in the 44th Super Bowl.
“Now you can look at the Lombardi Trophy on the same road back to the Superdome,” Porter said.
And that once unthinkable truth came thanks in no small part to Porter, a Louisiana native — and former Indiana University player — who made two of the biggest interceptions in Saints history in consecutive games. His 74-yard touchdown on an interception of Peyton Manning gave the Saints an insurmountable two-touchdown lead late in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 31-17 victory over the Colts on Sunday night.
In the NFC title game, his interception of Brett Favre stalled Minnesota’s potential game-winning drive. The Saints went on to beat the Vikings in OT to earn their first Super Bowl berth in the team’s 43-year history.
Growing up in Port Allen, across the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge, Porter watched the Saints every Sunday with his family and friends. He remembers bags on the heads of embarrassed fans.
“This is a moment he could really use to build off of and really elevate his status,” Saints safety and active NFL interception leader Darren Sharper said. “I tell him all the time, ‘Tracy, if you wanted to be, you could be one of the top cornerbacks in the league the rest of your career,’ because he has all he intangibles, all the talents to do that.”
Porter said he recognized the formation, with Austin Collie going in motion, and knew Manning would be looking for Reggie Wayne right around the first-down distance.
“When I saw Austin Collie go in motion I said, ‘Oh, yeah, this is the route they’ve been running all year.’ ”
He followed a couple of blocks, made one cut, and there was nothing but open field in front of him. He knew he was going to score and pointed to the stands.
“I was pointing at the Who Dat nation out there,” he said.
Now, in the midst of Mardi Gras season, his family, friends, and Saints fans in New Orleans and across the Gulf South have another reason to party.
