Luke Fortner will play in the Shrine Bowl

Luke Fortner‘s final game in a Kentucky football helmet will not be at the Citrus Bowl. Fortner will rock a UK logo one more time in the Shrine Bowl.

The 97th edition of the East-West Shrine Game is unlike any other. This year the game will act as a precursor to the NFL Pro Bowl. Seniors vying for an NFL Draft selection will take the field at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas Thursday, Feb. 3. The game will air on the NFL Network at 8 pm ET.

Fortner is the 37th Wildcat to be invited to the East-West Shrine Game since 1954 and the eighth under head coach Mark Stoops. Of the eight Stoops players to participate in the Shrine Bowl, three were selected in the NFL Draft: Za’Darius Smith (2014), Brandin Echols (2020) and Landon Young (2020). All three started NFL games this fall. They’ve dealt with injuries, but Echols found the end zone this Sunday, tying the game against Jacksonville with a Pick Six.

First Pick-Six for @matayo_echols on the @nyjets.#NYJvsMIA on CBS | #NFLCats
pic.twitter.com/U6zOxTw7zd

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) December 19, 2021

A 6-foot-6, 297-pound super senior from Sylvania, Ohio, Fortner has started in 54 career games as a Wildcat. In the preseason he made a seamless transition from right guard to center, a significant development that continued the Big Blue Wall’s success in 2021, paving the way for Chris Rodriguez to rush for more than 1,200 rushing yards.

Fortner was a first team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches and a second team choice by PFF and Phil Steele. His successful move from right guard to center showed his versatility, a coveted asset among NFL scouts, likely securing him a spot as a mid-round draft pick.

Three additional Wildcats — Yusuf Corker, Darian Kinnard and Josh Paschal — have accepted invitations to play in the Reese’s Senior Bowl to be played on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 2:30 p.m. ET in Mobile, Alabama. That game will be also be televised on the NFL Network.