Luke Fortner (55) at the Senior Bowl with UK teammates Yusuf Corker (29) and Darian Kinnard (65) along with former UK receivers coach Michael Smith. (Twitter Photo)
Luke Fortner admits he had a few doubts about how his University of Kentucky football career might go based on how it started.
“When I showed up in 2016 and we lost to Southern Miss in the first game, I could not picture the Kentucky football program where it is at now,” Fortner, who played six years for the Wildcats, said. “To be a part of that is something I am really proud of.”
Kentucky won 45 games, including four straight bowl games, during Fortner’s six years and recently he participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. He is one of seven Wildcats invited to the NFL Combine next week in Indianapolis.
“I am so proud to be going to the Combine and I am proud of all the other guys going, too,” Fortner, who moved from guard to center last season, said. “I had a lot of fun at the Senior Bowl. It was really a cool experience. Being able to compete with the best of the best is a cool experience for anyone. There was not a bad player there.”
Fortner helped his NFL draft status with his versatility and football IQ at the Senior Bowl. His name has shown up in the fourth round of some NFL mock drafts in large part because of his ability to play multiple interior positions in the offensive line.
ESPN NFL draft analyst/Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy posted this on Twitter: “Some team is going to get a longtime starter when they draft you, Luke. No doubt you’re ready to be a pro. Made an impact on a lot of people in a short period of time here in Mobile.”
Fortner said it was obvious some SEC players felt they should dominate at the Senior Bowl because they played in the SEC while some non-SEC players could not wait to outplay SEC players.
“A defensive tackle from UConn killed me early. He was coming for me,” Fortner said. “But it was great being with other guys from the SEC.”
Fortner said for offensive linemen like him, the Senior Bowl is more important than the NFL Combine.
“At the Combine, you get a physical for the NFL teams and there are a lot more interviews,” Fortner said. “But if you are an offensive lineman and go to the Combine and don’t throw up red flags, you are okay. There is not going to be anything at the Combine for teams to worry about compared to the Senior Bowl where they watched you practice for a week.
“The Combine is a good place to showcase your skills and interview skills. But the Senior Bowl the scouts got to see you actually practice and play. I am happy my draft grade has gone up from the preseason to the postseason and I hope it continues to go that way.”
The 6-7, 295-pound Fortner played in 54 games at Kentucky and had 19 knockdown blocks in 2021 when he was graded at 84.5 percent after moving from right guard to center.
Fortner graduated in 2019 with a degree in mechanical engineering and is working on master’s degrees in aerospace engineering and business administration.
He played his first five seasons under offensive line coach John Schlarman before Eric Wolford was the O-line coach last season after Schlarman’s death in 2020. His returning teammates will have another coach, Zach Yenser after Wolford left for Alabama after one season at UK.
“The cons to a new coach are no continuity. Every coach wants things done a different way and players have to have a different mindset due to the change,” Fortner said. “The flip side is you have to prove yourself and everyone has a fresh slate with a new coach who has no previous recollection of how good or bad you are.
“Coach Wolford was a great fundamentals guy. Now the guys get a chance to learn from somebody else and can combine that with info they learned from coach Wolford this year.”
Fortner understands what it is like to have to prove himself. He was in the same UK recruiting class as Landon Young and Drake Jackson, two in-state stars who were four-year starters and keys to the Big Blue Wall.
“When they were playing, I was sitting and watching and learning. My chance came later and I think I surprised a lot of people with how I did,” Fortner said. “I hope I continue to surprise people. I know I got some good feedback at the Senior Bowl, but I know I could have done better and still want to prove that to others.”
