Luke Fortner still cannot believe he was drafted higher than UK linemen Logan Stenberg, Landon Young, Darian Kinnard and George Asafo-Adjei. (Photo by UK Athletics)
Luke Fortner gave up football in the sixth grade because it was “not fun, not enjoyable” and he didn’t have the work ethic to make himself a better player.
Fortunately for Fortner, a youth baseball experience put him back on the football field and today he’s ready to start his National Football League career with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being the first pick in the third round of the recent draft.
“After I quit football, I played baseball. I ran over a catcher at home plate and got thrown out of the game,” said Fortner. “My dad said maybe I should go back and try football one more time, so I decided to give it a shot.”
“I played football in fifth grade but played up in the sixth grade league. I was not very good and instead of being bad at it, I just quit. I got to seventh grade and was playing with kids my own age and liked it a lot more. I guess I really need to try and find that kid I ran over in baseball and reach out and thank him.”
Fortner was a three-star recruit out of Sylvania, Ohio, who picked Kentucky over scholarship offers from Northwestern and Maryland. He also had a preferred walk-on offer from Ohio State.
“There was just something about the people at Kentucky that convinced me. I had never been to Kentucky but thought the campus was great. I just kind of knew it was going to be right for me,” he said.
It was so right that he spent six seasons at Kentucky and played in 54 career games. He switched from right guard to center for the 2021 season and graded at 84.5 percent with 19n knockdown blocks last season. Coaches put him on the all-Southeastern Conference first team.
When he was debating whether to return to UK for a “super senior” season in 2021, his mother told him to do whatever he wanted like she normally did but his father reminded him how beat up he gets and maybe returning to UK was not the best move.
“I did not take his advice,” Fortner said.
Fortner had finished his degree in mechanical engineering in December of 2019 and completed master’s degrees in aerospace engineering and business administration recently.
“I will just put them (degrees) up and maybe use them in the future,” Fortner said. “I will always have them.”
But instead of possibly working for NASA, he’s going to work in the NFL. He was the third center taken in the recent draft with the 65th pick. His former UK offensive line coach John Schlarman, who died from cancer during Fortner’s junior season, wore No. 65 at UK.
“That definitely is a special number for me,” Fortner said. “(Former UK center) Drake (Jackson) texted me after I got picked and said you know Schlarman is rolling over in his grave thinking he started the wrong person (Jackson) at center for four years. But I would not have been such a good center if I had not watched Drake.”
Fortner went home to watch the draft with his parents. His agent told him he probably would be an early Saturday pick when the fourth through seventh rounds of the draft were held.
“He said there was a chance for Friday night. His words were do not go to sleep and turn your phone out. So I was watching Friday night and hopeful but I honestly did not have super high expectations. Getting that call (from Jacksonville) was a little bit of a shock,” Fortner said. “My parents were so excited. They had seen me working for six years never knowing if I would get this shot or not. They were holding their breath.”
Fortner admits UK recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow told him on UK’s Pro Day that the Jaguars could not take him to start the third round. The UK linemen didn’t believe him.
“That’s what I get for doubting Vince Marrow,” Fortner laughed and said.
Fortner’s story certainly is one coach Mark Stoops and recruiting coordinator Vince Marrow can sell. He believed in their vision six years ago, waited two years for a chance to play and then started two years at guard and one at center. He blocked for players who produced four 1,000-yard rushing seasons and was on two 10-win teams. He was on four straight teams that won bowl games.
Kentucky has had an offensive lineman drafted four straight years — George Asafo-Adjei in the seventh round in 2019, Logan Stenberg in the fourth round in 2020 and Landon Young in the sixth round in 2021. This year Darian Kinnard also went in the fifth round.
“Telling me I would be the highest draft pick out of that group of linemen and I would have told you there was no shot at that happening,” Fortner said. “Two years ago there might have even been thoughts in my head that I would not have even been drafted. Those guys are all so good and for me to be picked in the third round ahead of where any of them were is just mind blowing and surreal.”
Fortner will spend the next five to six weeks in Jacksonville getting acclimated to his new team and surroundings. Former UK teammate Josh Allen, a starting defensive end with the Jaguars, has reached out.
“I am sure I will be carrying his pads for a few weeks (as part of a rookie ritual),” Fortner said. “But that’s fine. I’m not going to complain about anything.”
