Going into Super Bowl XLIV, it was clear that the most opportunistic team was going to win the game.  In the end, this prediction held true with New Orleans Saints cornerback Tracy Porter intercepting a pass by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and returning it 74 yards for a touchdown, sealing a 31-17 Saints victory.

By stepping in front of Colts receiver Reggie Wayne, Porter solidified his claim as one of the most important players in Saints history.  In the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings, Porter jumped in front of Vikings receiver Sidney Rice to intercept quarterback Brett Favre with less than a minute left and kill a potential game winning drive for the Vikings.  But Porter one-upped himself two weeks later.

Porter’s touchdown stifled a calculated Manning drive that was putting the Colts in a position to take control of the game.  The Colts would have tied the game at 24 and had all the momentum for the last few minutes of the game, creating more opportunities for another Manning comeback.  But instead, Porter read the usually unflappable Manning and the rest is history.

While Drew Brees’ performance in the Super Bowl was nearly flawless, proving himself of being worthy of being named Super Bowl MVP by completing 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, Porter should have been the Saints player going to Disney World.  Porter lays claim to the two biggest plays in Saints history: his interception of Favre and his pick-six of Manning.

But Reggie Bush was up on the podium along with Brees accepting the Vince Lombardi Trophy from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.  Bush was there for no other reason than the fact that he is the second-most-marketable player on the Saints. But Bush only had 67 total yards in the Super Bowl, less than both Pierre Thomas and Marques Colston, while Thomas and Jeremy Shockey scored touchdowns, and kicker Garrett Hartley was three-for-three on his field goals.  What direct contribution did Bush have to the victory? 

Porter should have been up on that podium with Brees and Goodell.  Right now, it seems like Bush’s claim to fame is that he’s dating Kim Kardashian, not the fact that he’s the running back for the Super Bowl champions.  While the Super Bowl MVP would have immortalized Porter, Porter instead is an integral part of New Orleans Saints history.

The most intriguing thing for Porter is what comes next.  Will he go the way of past Super Bowl hero David Tyree, making a play that changes history before fading into obscurity?  Or will Porter build on this performance and use it as a springboard for the rest of his career?  Only two years into his career, the rest of the book on Porter remains to be written.

Daniel Gallen can be reached for comment at [email protected].