Graduate student running back Cam Porter has battled through plenty of adversity just to return to the football field. After another devastating leg injury, Porter's career in purple may be done entirely.
Northwestern head coach David Braun announced on Monday that his lead rusher would miss the remainder of the 2025 season. Porter left during the third quarter of the Wildcats' 42-7 win over Western Illinois on Friday, favoring his right leg and eventually getting carted from the sideline to the locker room.
"All of us are crushed for Cam," Braun said. "There's no one that's worked harder, there's no one that's invested more in this program than Cam Porter. What I'll also say is there is no one more suited and prepared to still have a profound impact on their team with these types of circumstances than Cam Porter."
Porter, who wore the prestigious No. 1 jersey in 2024, was voted a team captain for the third consecutive season entering this fall. The running back is only the second Wildcat in program history to be honored as a three-time captain.
Through two weeks, Porter's 137 rushing yards on 18 carries led the team. He scored Northwestern's first touchdown of the season on a 43-yard scamper against the Leathernecks and totaled 114 scrimmage yards before his injury.
Porter also missed the entirety of his true sophomore season after tearing his right ACL during the summer. While the details of his recent injury have not yet been revealed, a second major issue to the same leg could put the rest of his playing career in doubt.
"One thing I've learned about Cam is he understands that his purpose is bigger than football," Braun said. "He's a man that walks by faith, and it's not just some cliche post or tattoo that he wears on his arm, it's something that he lives by and walks by. I learn from Cam Porter daily. Every single room that Cam Porter steps into, the people in that room are better because Cam's in it."
The 2025 season was set to be Porter's sixth year of college football. The running back made his name as a true freshman at Northwestern, when he broke out for 301 rushing yards and four touchdowns over the final three games in 2020. Porter shined when the lights were brightest, gashing Ohio State's and Auburn's defenses in the Big Ten Championship and Citrus Bowl, respectively.
It took some time for Porter to get back up to game speed when he returned from his torn ACL in 2022. He regained form in 2023 with 651 rushing yards and four touchdowns, then ran for 501 yards and six touchdowns as a graduate student by using his medical redshirt. The extra year of eligibility granted the COVID-19 pandmic allowed Porter to take the field in 2025.
While Braun admitted he hadn't spoken with Porter yet about the potential of utilizing a second medical redshirt and playing for the 'Cats again in 2026, the Wildcats' head coach said the running back's future is bright, regardless of what he decides to do long-term.
"Cam never talks about [leadership], he just does it," Braun said. "It's at meals, it's at meetings, it's catching guys outside the facility. Cam Porter has this unique ability to meet people where they're at, and then also inspire them to reach their fullest potential. He does it in such a genuine, authentic, real way, and that will never change about him. That dude will continue to be one of the best captains we've ever had and will continue to lead this football team."
Just days after learning his season — and football career — was over, Porter was back in Northwestern's meetings. The captain was mentoring the other Wildcat running backs, preparing them for the increased workload and expanded roles they will have for the rest of the season in his absence.
Whether he takes the field again or decides to hang up the cleats, Porter's journey of perseverence and leadership make the running back's career emblematic of everything that the Northwestern Football program stands for.
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