Sept. 15, 2002

When Matthew Forester sees the name Vince Lombardi or hears about Lombardi's great days as head coach of the Green Bay Packers, it hits home in a different way from most people. Bill Forester, Matthew's grandfather, was an all-pro selection during 1959-62 for the Packers during Lombardi's glory days. Bill played in four Pro Bowls as a linebacker. Matthew got the chance to hear all those stories growing up.

Forty years after his grandfather made an impact for the Packers as an all-pro linebacker, Forester finds himself making an impact as a middle linebacker for Samford as the Bulldogs make a run for the Division I-AA playoffs in Forester's final season. The 6-0, 226-pound senior has made a home in Samford's starting defensive lineup this season. After struggling with an ankle injury the last couple of seasons, he's regained a starting spot in the lineup. He is currently second on the team in tackles with 13 total in two games. He was named to I-AA Independent defensive honor roll after the first week of play. In his career, Forester has 196 total tackles.

"I've been playing with a lot of passion and intensity for the game," Forester said. "I've really been having fun playing the game. It's my last go around, and I just want to make the most of it."

Playing the best game he can play is something Forester prides himself on. He thinks about the way Dick Butkus and Ray Nitschke played the hard-nosed position. "The way they played linebacker is the right way," Forester said. "They were known as being fearsome and hard hitters. They got to the ball even though they weren't the fastest, and they probably weren't the most athletic guys, but they always got to the ball."

That's why Forester describes himself as an instinctive linebacker. His teammates count on him being where he's supposed to be on the field. "I'm not the fastest guy and not the strongest guy, but I've been able to know where the ball is going as soon as it's snapped. When I'm given an assignment, I'm going to carry it out. My teammates don't have to worry about that. I try to make sure I'm always around the ball," Forester said.

The Bulldogs weren't the only ones to notice his instinctive talent for the position. Besides Samford, Alabama, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Mississippi State and Southern Mississippi sent letters to Forester, and some offered official visits. "I had a lot of official visits, but I came to Samford. It was where I wanted to be and needed to be," Forester said.

Forester's father, Mike, found he needed to be at Ole Miss where he lettered for the Rebels, and grandfather Bill left an impression at SMU before moving to the National Football League. But instead of following the path of his grandfather and father and heading off to a larger school, Matthew decided on Samford's cozy setting only a few miles from home. He joined friends from Briarwood Christian Academy-a school that dominated Alabama's 3A classification during the 1990s. Samford currently has five Briarwood alumni on its roster.

"It's really been nice having those guys here," Forester said. "I feel like I've been around them all my life. Since seventh grade, I've been playing with some of them. It's just fun to look over at a guy and know he's thinking exactly what you're thinking. You just know how they play the game, and that makes you more comfortable out there."

Forester got in a comfort zone at Briarwood as a three-year starter. The culmination of his high school career came in the 1998 Class 3A state championship game. With the Lions leading, 49-14, Forester scooped up a fumble and rumbled 62 yards for a touchdown. Briarwood finished 15-0, and Forester scored the last touchdown for the Lions in the 56-14 state championship win over Randolph County.

Making those sort of big plays for Samford is something habitual for the senior. "One of my fondest memories at Samford was the Murray State game my freshman year. I had a really good game that day [nine unassisted tackles on a regionally televised game]. It was the first time I got to play a whole lot and in a very close game," Forester said. "The other one occurred my sophomore year. We played at Elon and we lost pretty badly. I just played to the end, fighting hard, trying to win even though we were losing. I looked over at my dad and saw how proud he was."

In this last go around for Forester, sticking to those principles is key. Last weekend at Baylor, he had fun playing in front of a big crowd and thought his Bulldogs were the more aggressive and disciplined team.

This Nicholls State game will give Forester and the Bulldogs the opportunity to see how they stack up against a Division I-AA school for the first time this season after playing Division II and Division I-A members. "Our defense is not going to quit. Even when we were out there against Baylor, we were still fighting," Forester said.

For the time being, as well as the rest of the season, Forester will continue to try to leave as big of an impression as his grandfather left in the pros. During two-a-days, Forester got to share his football story with his grandfather and father through his Internet diary-something Forester said they both enjoyed.

"There was always football on at my house. There was never a point when I didn't want to play football; but at the same time, I was never pressured into it. I've always said if I wasn't a football player, I'd be a skateboarder or following [the band] Wide Spread Panic around, but I enjoy really enjoy being on the field," Forester said. "I had the opportunity to play at the end of the game against Baylor. We were losing, 50-12, but I just wanted to be on the field playing. I want to play as much as I can and as hard as I can."