\u201cI had a big decision going into my freshman year of high school,\u201d Fortner said. \u201cI said, \u2018Am I going to play in the band? Or play football?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
He then chuckled.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think I decided correctly,\u201d he said. \u201cI know my middle school band director may not think so.\u201d<\/p>\n
The truth is, Fortner has made a lot of decisions that have impacted his football journey \u2014 decisions that seem silly in retrospect. A self-acknowledged \u201cnerd,\u201d the 27-year-old offensive lineman has three degrees from his six years at the University of Kentucky. A bachelor\u2019s degree in mechanical engineering. A master\u2019s in aerospace engineering. And an MBA. He loves learning new things, too, he said. His latest endeavor: the piano \u2014 even if years of hand-in-dirt football has dislocated some fingers and made playing such an instrument difficult.<\/p>\n
Such a love of learning has served his football life so far. It\u2019s what led him to the center position when then-Kentucky offensive coordinator and now Jaguars head coach Liam Coen<\/a> told him to make the transition from interior OL. And, ultimately, it\u2019s what led the 27-year-old to being picked up by the Panthers on a one-year deal worth up to $2.75 million, according to Over The Cap<\/a>, after being one of the top center free agents on the market.<\/p>\n But there were other decisions Fortner had to make, too.<\/p>\n Like going to the NFL at all.<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely wanted to play college football,\u201d Fortner said. \u201cBut the NFL was one of those things that they\u2019re like, \u2018Well, not everyone makes it to the NFL. You gotta try and get your education.\u2019 … So I kept hanging on with the redshirt year and the COVID year.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd eventually, my buddies were like, \u2018Are you going to do this? You have a chance to go play in the NFL. It\u2019s time you put the school aside.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n So he did.<\/p>\n Fortner will begin his crash course in Carolina with the proverbial keys belonging to him.<\/p>\n The Panthers plan to have three of their five starting offensive linemen from a year ago back and playing by Week 1. That\u2019s left guard Damien Lewis, right guard (and Pro Bowler) Robert Hunt<\/a> and right tackle Taylor Moton.<\/p>\n Left tackle Ickey Ekwonu is still under contract after the Panthers picked up his fifth-year option prior to 2025, but he\u2019s expected to miss a decent chunk of 2026 after rupturing his patellar tendon in his knee in last year\u2019s playoff game. (The Panthers have a plan at left tackle in Ekwonu\u2019s stead; they signed Rasheed Walker on a one-year deal<\/a>.)<\/p>\n But the center position? It was mostly open before Fortner filled the role. And there are high expectations for him. Fortner graded out as a middle-of-the-pack run-blocker (65.3, 21st in the NFL) but as an exceptional pass-blocker (72.5, 5th)<\/a>, according to Pro Football Focus.<\/p>\n His 2025 \u2014 his first year with the rival New Orleans Saints after three previous seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars \u2014 saw his best year yet. The success came after inheriting the job as starter in Week 8; he was the starter, thus, when the Saints\u2019 offense hit its stride toward the end of the year.<\/p>\n Fortner, still, has experience playing everywhere along the line. And that has taught him some valuable lessons now as someone who has to call the protections, among other responsibilities.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the biggest thing is communication,\u201d Fortner said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re in the middle of it, it feels easy to say, \u2018Hey, this is where we\u2019re going. We\u2019re doing X or Y or whatever it may be. But there were times in college when they threw me out there at tackle, and it was like, \u2018Wait a minute. I can\u2019t hear a thing out here.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSo I think being in that scenario, being outside or at guard or whatever it may be, you know how crucial that communication can be.\u201d<\/p>\n Fortner has a lot more to say. He was a teammate and draft-classmate of the Panthers\u2019 newly acquired linebacker Devin Lloyd<\/a>, saying that \u201cDevin is just not slowing down, man.\u201d He said that Bryce Young is a \u201ccharismatic\u201d and \u201cgreat leader.\u201d He doesn\u2019t have good memories having to block Derrick Brown. He said that he\u2019s excited for playing such an \u201coptimistic\u201d fan base. He\u2019s also ready for the \u201cbeautiful\u201d Carolina sun: \u201cYou don\u2019t get much of that in the dome.\u201d<\/p>\n You can trace all this excitement back to Fortner\u2019s \u201cbig decision.\u201d His decisions, in fact. From choosing football over band in middle school. To having a decision made for him, moving him to the center position. To finally taking the leap into the NFL after six years in college.<\/p>\n Not that his choice of going to the NFL wasn\u2019t a \u201creal\u201d decision, was it? He\u2019s kidding again. Has to be. Right?<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t need that much prodding from his friends to do something only few have the chance to do, did he?<\/p>\n Fortner chuckles again.<\/p>\n \u201cI owe them a lot,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re still asking for money to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 6:00 AM.<\/p>\n Alex Zietlow<\/a><\/p>\n The Charlotte Observer<\/p>\n Alex Zietlow writes about the Carolina Panthers and the ways in which sports intersect with life for The Charlotte Observer, where he has been a reporter since August 2022. Zietlow\u2019s work has been honored by the Pro Football Writers Association, the N.C. and S.C. Press Associations, as well as the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) group. He\u2019s earned six APSE Top 10 distinctions for his coverage on a variety of topics, from billion-dollar stadium renovations to the small moments of triumph that helped a Panthers kicker defy the steepest odds in sports. Zietlow previously wrote for The Herald in Rock Hill (S.C.) from 2019-22.![\"Luke](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1238899302.jpg\" "\\"GettyImages-1238899302.jpg\\"")
Luke Fortner #OL16 of the Kentucky Wildcats speaks to reporters during the NFL Draft Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on March 3, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Michael Hickey Getty Images How Fortner will impact the Panthers immediately<\/p>\n![\"Center](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-1792123063.jpg\" "\\"GettyImages-1792123063.jpg\\"")
Center Luke Fortner, shown here as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is introduced against the San Francisco 49ers during a game at EverBank Field on November 12, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson\/Getty Images) Mike Carlson Getty Images <\/p>\n Center Luke Fortner, shown here as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is introduced against the San Francisco 49ers during a game at EverBank Field on November 12, 2023 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson\/Getty Images) Mike Carlson Getty Images \u2018I owe them a lot\u2019<\/p>\n
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