Game will kickoff Thursday, Feb. 3 in Las Vegas on the NFL Network at 8 p.m. ET
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky senior center Luke Fortner has accepted an invite to the 2022 East-West Shrine Bowl, it was announced today. The 97th annual game is set for Thursday, Feb. 3 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET. It will air on the NFL Network. In a substantial change from the last decade-plus, the East-West Shrine Bowl is now a part of NFL Pro Bowl Week.
Fortner is the 37th Wildcat to be invited to the East-West Shrine Game since 1954, the eighth under head coach Mark Stoops. In Stoops’ tenure, he joins Darrian Miller (2014), Za’Darius Smith (2014), C.J. Johnson (2015), Derrick Baity (2018), C.J. Conrad (2018), “Bunchy” Stallings (2018), Brandin Echols (2020) and Landon Young (2020).
The 6-foot-6, 297-pound “super senior” from Sylvania, Ohio, is a two-time Campbell Trophy semifinalist who has played in 54 career games for Kentucky. After switching from right guard to center prior to the season, Fortner found his niche, excelling in his new role on the “Big Blue Wall.” Under Fortner’s leadership on the line, the Wildcats’ offense is averaging 431.1 total yards per game this season, including 206.1 on the ground, and is averaging 6.57 yards per play, which would set a new school record for a season.
Fortner graduated in December of 2019 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also recently earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, graduating Friday, December 17. While working on his master’s in mechanical engineering, he also began working on a second master’s degree in business administration from UK’s prestigious Gatton College of Business and Economics. He is on track to graduate with his MBA in 2022. Fortner is a five-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was named Second-Team CoSIDA All-American
Postseason Awards for Fortner:
First-Team All-SEC (Coaches)
Second-Team All-SEC (Phil Steele, PFF)
Second-Team Academic All-American (CoSIDA)
First-Team Academic All-District (CoSIDA)
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 at the University of South Alabama, Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. That game will be also be televised on the NFL Network.