New Orleans drafts Porter with the 40th overall pick in the NFL Draft

Tracy Porter sat in his home with family and friends in front of his TV in Port Allen, La.\nNeither nervous nor annoyed after falling lower than he was projected in the 2008 NFL Draft, Porter simply waited for a life-changing phone call. With the 40th pick, the New Orleans Saints offered him the chance to play at home.\n“It’s like a dream come true,” Porter said. “It’s like growing up in Bloomington and wanting to play for IU. It was magical for me.”\nThe former IU cornerback was a little disappointed that he was not picked sooner – he believed he was a “first-round caliber player” – but said he was gratified to find a spot on a team.\n“In the end, the NFL is the NFL,” Porter said, “so as long as your name is called, you’re in.”\nPorter played in all four of his years at IU, recording 212 tackles, nabbing 16 interceptions and returning three touchdowns. But his versatility as a special teams return-man made him an intriguing prospect for NFL teams. Though he thought he could have gone in the first 31 picks, most analysts had Porter as an early second-round pick.\nPlaying for the Saints, Porter returns to his native Louisiana. He fills a need on the New Orleans team, who made a run at the Super Bowl two years ago, finishing just short in a loss to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game.\n“I know we have the potential here in New Orleans to be a Super Bowl-caliber team,” Porter said. “We just have to put a few missing pieces together and once we come together, I definitely think this team will in fact be in the Super Bowl.”\nHe said he has not had a chance to look at the style of the team’s defense but said the Saints assured him of the similarity between them and IU.\nSaints coach Sean Payton said in a statement that he is familiar with Porter through his connections with late-IU coach Terry Hoeppner, citing his return abilities and ball skills as major pluses.\n“You scout this player from when he arrived at Indiana, all the way through his senior year, he’s done a lot of the things that we would look for in our corners,” Payton said in the statement. “We were excited.”\nFinishing 7-9 in the NFC South last year, New Orleans offers Porter a chance to make an immediate impact next year. Not surprisingly, the 5-foot-11 defensive back believes he can be a key contributor as well.\n“The coaches feel that way, otherwise they wouldn’t have drafted me,” Porter said. “But like I told the coach, ‘If you draft me, I’ll do whatever it takes to get on the football field.’ If that means playing special teams or defense, I’ll do either or.”\nWhile many first- or second-round draft picks will enter the contract negotiation process shortly, Porter has other things on his mind for the time being. Returning to school today, he said he will finish his exams and graduate on Saturday before heading to minicamp on May 8.\nHis agent, Paul Lawrence, said Porter has not expressed any specifics with his future contract. Because the process varies from team to team, he said, there is no timetable to begin the contract negotiations.\n“Tracy had a very good visit with the Saints, so we knew that they were a team that was very interested in him,” Lawrence said. “He’s happy to be going home.”\nAs for what number he will wear, No. 9 is already taken by one of the Saints’ permanent fixtures – two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees. Instead, he will go with No. 27, if he can, because two plus seven equals nine.\n“It’s an experience like no other,” Porter said. “I’ve been waiting for it,\ndreaming for it. Now that it’s here, it’s time to hit the ground running.”