He missed the first team bus and almost arrived late for the second, but on a fourth-quarter play with three minutes left, cornerback Tracy Porter arrived early –- crossing in front of Reggie Wayne and intercepting Peyton Manning for a touchdown.

He trekked 74 yards into the end zone and already visions of the Lombardi Trophy flashed across the field.

Actually, those weren’t visions -– just Porter’s haircut, which had the Super Bowl trophy and the Louisiana Superdome shaved into his head.

“It was a last-minute haircut,” said Porter, whose barber Reggie flew in from New Orleans just to maintain his playoff ritual. "I actually got it a couple of hours before we had to leave for the game."

Throughout the post-season, Porter has shown a knack for being around the football. His fourth-quarter interception of Brett Favre in the NFC Championship took the “old gunslinger” off the field and propelled the Saints to an overtime win.

His teammate, veteran safety Darren Sharper, believes it all comes down to Porter’s instincts. “We knew [the Colts] were going to go with their bread and butter, what they’re used to, and Tracy was paying attention to the football. He read it well, trusted his instincts and jumped in there at a good time. It was similar to the week before, but this was the play of the game, and he was able to score on this one.”

Said defensive coordinator Gregg Williams: “Guys who are afraid to jump routes, guys who are afraid to make plays don’t last very long in the National Football League. You have to believe what you see, and when you see it, go get it.”

For Porter, that meant stepping in between a man whom many would consider a legend and re-writing a reserved page in the history books.

“Peyton is a phenomenal quarterback,” Porter said. “He’s definitely a first ballot Hall of Famer.

“Words can’t describe [how I feel]. It was a long hard journey. A long, hard dream that we knew if we stuck together and worked hard in all three aspects of the game that this could come true.”

-- JENNA LAINE
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