Senior Spotlight: Luke Fortner played through Kentucky football transformation

Luke Fortner‘s long and winding road at the University of Kentucky is nearing its conclusion. The old man of the Kentucky football team with three degrees and six seasons under his belt on the Big Blue Wall has been through the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.

Fortner’s first game as a Kentucky Wildcat was a 44-35 loss to Southern Miss at Commonwealth Stadium.

“I think that’s really all that needs to be said,” Fortner chuckled on Tuesday’s Kentucky Roll Call.

“That year we went 7-5 and went to a bowl game. Ever since then we’ve been to a bowl game. That’s how the program’s turned around. Now you’ve got people disappointed that we’re not 11-1, and they should be. I just think that’s the most telling indicator of where the program’s at. When I first got here we lost to Southern Miss at home, and now we’re pissed off that we’re hopefully only going to be 9-3.”

Building the Big Blue Wall

Just like Rome, Mark Stoops’ Kentucky football program was not built in a day. To lay the foundation for a school record six straight postseason appearances, the Cats started in the trenches.

The transformation all started, ironically, against New Mexico State, Kentucky’s upcoming Senior Day opponent. Reeling from the upset to Southern Miss and an embarrassing effort at Florida, Stephen Johnson went under center for the injured Drew Barker. Eddie Gran inserted true freshmen Benny Snell into the lineup to complement Boom Williams. The two newcomers combined for seven touchdowns while Boom chipped in 181 yards and a score in the 62-42 victory.

Gran came to Kentucky touting a high-flying offense at Cincinnati. That was quickly abandoned for a new mantra, “Big men lead the way.”

John Schlarman regularly rotated eight offensive linemen around center Jon Toth, keeping bodies fresh to open holes for Snell and Williams. The Wildcats won four of their next five, then ended the season with an unforgettable upset over Lamar Jackson. Benny and Boom each eclipsed the 1,000-yard threshold and the Wildcats finished ranked 20th in rushing offense, averaging 234.15 yards per game.

Developing and Improving Talent

Kentucky discovered its identity in Fortner’s freshman the year. To keep climbing, Stoops continued to go to work on the recruiting trail, while putting his players through rigorous training in the weight room.

“Recruit and Develop,” and, “Go to Work,” are pretty ho-hum, cliched kind of football sayings to live by, but it’s what worked for Stoops’ program.

“The players when I first got here, none of them were bad players. They were all really skilled and really passionate, but in terms of physically… You have people coming into the program now that look like the seniors five years ago. That’s just the type of recruits that Coach Stoops has been able to get,” Fortner said.

One of those recruits is expected to play significant snaps alongside Fortner this Saturday. Eli Cox is out for the year, Austin Dotson and Quintin Wilson are banged up, providing an opportunity for former Top 100 recruit Jager Burton to play as a true freshman.

“Jager has been working his butt off in practice and when you watch him play, I wish I looked like that as a freshman,” Fortner laughed. “If you look at my film freshman year, if I got out there I was — I don’t even know what I’d do. I knew I wouldn’t do very well, but I really believe that when Jager gets out there he’s going to play really well. I think he’s going to play good ball. I’m excited to have him next to me and to see what he can do because he’s a really good player.”

In addition to getting good players, Fortner believes the key to Kentucky’s success is how they improve when they’re in Lexington. In the early days of the Stoops era, fast starts quickly flamed out because there was not enough depth within the program. Mark Hill and Corey Edmond fortified the foundation through offseason training that allows Stoops to pull more from his players through a grueling SEC season.

“One of the most improved areas is what Coach Ed and Coach Hill have done in the weight room, just building our capacity for playing these big games, as compared to five or six years ago,” Fortner said. “These guys come in and they’re good to play three or four games, but by the time you get to game five and six, they’re kind of dropping off. I think Coach Ed and Coach Hill have done a great job in that respect and I do think there’s a difference in players you see coming through.”

Transforming Positions

Fortner could have called it a Kentucky career and departed with Landon Young and Drake Jackson following the 2020 season. Instead he returned for another year to pursue a third degree — an MBA in addition to his undergrad and masters in mechanical engineering — and potentially improve his NFL Draft stock.

Considered by many as the greatest center to ever play at UK, Jackson left a big void in the middle of a Big Blue Wall in transition. Schlarman passed away and Eric Wolford entered the picture with a new style in Liam Coen’s offense. It was a recipe for catastrophe. Luckily, the Cats could lean on Luke Fortner. He moved from right guard to center, playing quarterback for the Big Blue Wall with a steady, experienced hand.

“I think it’s just been a great move all the way around,” Stoops said at his weekly press conference. “It’s been really good for our team. To replace somebody like Drake, that’s so intelligent and can direct so much, he’s done that.

“But, then you bring in Luke and it’s really helped him and shown his versatility. You know, he has more size than Drake and I think it’ll help him move forward and give him give him an opportunity to play at the next level. He’s got like five degrees, so if he doesn’t make it I think he’ll be alright, but I do think he’ll make it in the NFL.”

Fortner’s Impressive Resume

Entering the final two games of his Kentucky career, the Wildcats are 44-29 (.602) and 25-25 in SEC play. He played in 52 career games and started in 33 straight. Each of his six seasons will finish with a bowl game, with up to four taking place in the state of Florida. He will have blocked for at least three of the school’s top ten rushers, including the ultimate record-breaker, Benny Snell. Off the field, he was a member of the SEC Community Service Team and Allstate Good Works Team for his work with the Kentucky Children’s Hospital.

When reflecting on his time at Kentucky, three memories stand out above the rest. First and foremost, the Citrus Bowl victory that capped off a ten-win 2018 season. Another was from his first Senior Day: Fortner wore John Schlarman’s No. 65 jersey in a 41-18 win over South Carolina. The final memory is one you probably would not expect from the upstanding representative of the BBN.

“When I got kicked out of the Louisville game.”

Yes, one of the offensive lineman’s greatest memories is getting thrown out of the Governor’s Cup for punching a Louisville player in the face on a fourth quarter PAT during a 56-10 victory. Luke Fortner is a Kentucky football legend.