Six months after his college career ended prematurely with a torn ACL in September, graduate student running back Cam Porter returned to the field Tuesday for Northwestern’s Pro Day, looking to show off his recovery to NFL scouts.
Porter, a three-time captain, missed the majority of his final year with the Wildcats after sustaining the season-ending injury in Week 2 against Western Illinois. He participated in Tuesday’s on-field Pro Day drills, including the 40-yard dash and the bench press.
“The last time I was on a Northwestern field, I didn’t walk off, I had to get carried off,” Porter told The Daily. “To be able to walk off Northwestern’s field one last time on my own two feet is a blessing.”
He put up 25 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, the second-most among NU players. It also would have been second-best among running backs at February’s NFL Combine.
Throughout his ACL recovery, Porter said the bench press was one drill that he could continue training despite his lower-body injury. Porter received an outpour of cheers and encouragement from teammates in the weight room as he lifted in front of NFL personnel.
“The brotherhood is so real here,” Porter said. “Guys on the team, past teams, have been texting me all week, ‘good luck, do your best,’ and just supporting me through and through. I’m a proud alum of this place, and I try to wear that purple with a lot of pride.”
Porter added he has spoken with NFL teams who have said that they are impressed with his injury progression, just over six months removed from injury. The average recovery timeline for ACL tears is 8-12 months, according to BASS Medical Group.
Porter has already returned to explosive drills like sprinting, allowing him to participate in the Pro Day and showcase his progress to professional scouts.
“Everything that the doctors are allowing me to do and clearing me to do, I’m doing,” Porter said. “Right now, I’m ahead of schedule, which is a blessing. I’ve got to stay ahead of schedule.”
The ’Cats had 16 players participate Tuesday, along with former NU wide receiver Bryce Kirtz, who spent the last year recovering from a torn Achilles suffered at the end of the 2024 season. That number was up from 10 participants in last year’s Pro Day.
Of the 16 athletes, nine spent their entire careers in Evanston. Porter said his graduating class helped lay the foundation for NU to compete for Big Ten championships in the future, battling through adversity to finish their careers with a bowl-game victory and a 7-6 record in 2025.
“It’s a bunch of gritty dudes that are so close, and they work so hard,” Porter said. “That’s how we win football games here. We win games because the brotherhood is strong. We find ways to outlast opponents. We’re tough, we’re gritty, and that’s our identity.”
Porter spent all six years of his collegiate career at NU. Three of his fellow captains, graduate students defensive lineman Carmine Bastone, offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan and linebacker Mac Uihlein, all played their entire five-year careers for the ’Cats. Sticking with the same school for four or more years has become increasingly rare in college football with the growth of the transfer portal.
Porter, though, reflected on NU as “near and dear to my heart.”
“I wanted to start my career here, and I wanted to finish it here,” Porter said. “I love this place with everything I’ve got, and I’m glad I got to finish it here with my brothers one last time.”
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