JAGUARS OL LUKE FORTNER
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022
(On getting back on the football field) “Seeing the guys do spring ball back at UK and not being out there, not being able to get that work definitely hurts a little bit. You try to do as much as you can, but you can’t replicate being on the field like this, so it’s really nice to be back.”
(On what he’s been up to since the draft) “Just trying to stay up on drills and conditioning. I’d like to say I conditioned enough, but I got out there and clearly it wasn’t enough. Just been trying to work as hard as I can and be ready to get here.”
(On using his versatility as an advantage) “Definitely. I think the minute you can understand the plays from more than one position, it becomes easier all around. Just being able to be on the line at any position either helping guys or being helped at a different position, it goes miles for learning the playbook and being ready to be in on game day.”
(On similarities between the Jaguars’ playbook and Kentucky’s playbook) “1,000 percent. I see plays and I’m like, ‘Oh, I’ve done that. I know what it is, just a different name’ and just getting the terminology down. Obviously, it’s way more complex than anything we did at Kentucky, but at the core, it’s very similar. It’s nice to fall back on.”
(On how playing at Kentucky prepared him for the NFL) “[Former Kentucky Offensive Coordinator and current Los Angeles Rams Offensive Coordinator] Liam Coen is a freaking genius. I sit in the meeting room, and he says things and I just scratch my head a little bit. I’m like, ‘What?’ But obviously he knows what he’s doing. [My] fifth year I didn’t have a pro-style offense and wasn’t a super highly touted prospect. [In my] sixth year, [I] had a pro-offense and here I am, so it definitely helps a lot.”
(On overcoming adversity while at Kentucky) “It was hard and I had to step up, but it’s really easy when you have a group of guys that we had. [UK Head Coach] Coach [Mark] Stoops keeping the top level together was very important to us and he always clued us in on all the decisions he was making. When you had a tight knit group like that, it doesn’t affect you as much as it might some other place.”
(On becoming a professional athlete) “It’s different for sure. No homework to do on the weekends that’s for sure, so it’s nice in that sense. But it’s your job and everything you do, everything you put in your body, every time you walk outside it’s about being the best you can be on the football field. It’s a little different, something I’m still adjusting to, but I’m excited.”
(On his family and acclimating to Jacksonville) “My family is in northwest Ohio still. My brother’s at Bowling Green State. My sister’s at the University of Toledo. They’ve been in contact of course and making sure I got everything I need, but it’s different for sure being alone and being in the hotel. But at
the same time, it’s a great opportunity to make a bunch of new friends and get to know the guys better. It’s exciting.”
(On the offensive line group) “From what I’ve seen, they’re a great group and not going to have any issues. I think they’re obviously a great group of players. Watching Brandon Scherff’s unreal and then Cam Robinson obviously and everyone else on the line works their butt off. They’re great players and I’m excited to learn from them.”
(On playing against OLB Travon Walker in college) “Just incredible, consistency at a high level, I think that’s the most important thing about Travon [Walker]. There were a lot of great players on the Georgia defense, but people like Travon who could do it every single play, that’s what separates him. I think that’s what he’s going to bring.”
(On finishing his degrees) “I’m pretty sure I passed all my classes. I just finished them up a couple weeks ago. If I get a call or email that I didn’t, I’ll let you know, but I think I’m good.”
(On walking for graduation) “No, they already walked. I didn’t know if I was going to be there, so I just decided not to.”
(On building a relationship with Offensive Line Coach Phil Rauscher) “It’s great because it’s just like recruiting anywhere else, you just hope that they’re the same guy pre-process and after you get here, and he absolutely is the same guy. He told me everything he was going to do pre-draft and pre-process and now that I’m here, that’s what he’s doing. He practices what he preaches. [He’s] the same guy all around and that’s what you ask for.”
(On Offensive Line Coach Phil Rauscher being the loudest coach on the field) “So far, for sure. Definitely.”
JAGUARS LB DEVIN LLOYD
MEDIA AVAILABILITY
SATURDAY, MAY 14, 2022
(On starting training immediately) “I knew as soon as I got out here, I wanted to get to work so I talked with some of the guys here and they connected me with Jason over at Rise and Grind [Training] and he does a great job. Like you said, he’s worked with a few of the players. I just wanted to get to work. Normally they’ll do some video stuff, I didn’t expect it to blow up or anything, but it’s crazy. I just love seeing all the support and everything. That was awesome.”
(On starting his training in Jacksonville right away instead of going back to his college) “Well first thing’s first, I kind of wanted to stay out here to travel. Going coast to coast, I wanted to stay away from that. I also wanted to get a feel for Jacksonville as a whole, travel around the city, things of that nature. Also, just getting out and, like you mentioned, work, really just getting to work. I wanted to get out and start and really get with the guys that were out here and kind of just get acclimated to being out here.”
(On his favorite thing about Jacksonville outside of football) “I mean I love being by the coast, seeing palm trees, just being by the water. Especially me being from San Diego. I love being by the coast. But then also just meeting everybody, meeting a whole bunch of new people has been awesome. I love the vibe around town, so it’s been awesome.”
(On what he works on after practice) “Whatever I feel like I wasn’t sharp at or things that I want to improve at or really just anything that I want to get better at that I saw throughout practice, I’ll work on those things. It can be anything from the run to the pass. It can be anything so just things that I want to improve on at practice.”
(On working on skills after practice) “That’s an everyday thing. I’ve been doing that for who knows how long, since I’ve been playing football. That’s how I feel like I can get better and separate myself is work on the little things that I wasn’t the best at at practice.”
(On when he started playing football) “My first time was in middle school. I played at lunch, 8 on 8. I played eighth grade year, and then high school was the first time I played 11 on football.”
(On when he realized his football talent) “Really as soon as I started playing. A lot of guys my size definitely stood out and I was a pretty good athlete so I think all the guys just kind of always gave me that confidence that you could be really good. I just kept going and I kept getting better and I kept working on my craft.”
(On his impressions of OLB Travon Walker coming into the draft) “Athletic freak. Obviously, you look at him and their defense also that you mentioned, they had ballers all over the place. I knew everyone at that team was first of all well-coached and extremely athletic and I knew Travon was one of those guys that was special. Obviously, he went number one overall for a reason based off his performances.”
(On his impressions of OLB Travon Walker now) “About what I expected, athletic freak. He’s very powerful and he’s somebody who I’m glad I don’t play right and left tackle because that’s a bad man. It’s really fun to be out there with him and us pushing each other to get better.”
(On OLB Travon Walker’s personality) “He’s right next to my locker. [He’s] just a real genuine dude. He’s just like he always says, controlling what he can control. He’s just a good person. You can tell that he’s a genuine guy.”
(On being back on the football field) “Finally, man. This is the longest I’ve been without being on the field and being with a team. I think the last time I played was like our Rose Bowl. It’s not like being with a team and being on the field, getting the film in, correcting your mistakes from the film. It feels amazing to be back finally and really, I’m just looking to get better every day.”
(On getting the playbook) “Yeah, I got the playbook. They gave it to me when I came out here. I was waiting for that, so I’ve been studying and hammering that the past couple weeks and it’s showing up.”
(On not doing any football activities for the past few weeks) “That’s why I was training, so I was getting with Jason and I’m even training before that. I have to do something football related whether it be mentally, athletically, like on the field, I’m doing something that’s helping me and making me better.”
(On taking time off) “I feel like for me right now it’s the time where you don’t really [get a break]. I always pace myself to make sure I don’t burn out, but at the same time I have to do something. That’s why if it’s not on the field physically then it will be something mentally. That’ll kind of be my day off or even it’s just recovery. Even if I’m not doing anything, I’ll take that day just to fully recover, get 100 percent, and that will kind of be my day off. I feel like me personally, I kind of understand how to pace myself not to burn out but also still finding a way to elevate.”
(On his first impressions of the defense) “This is my first time in a 3-4, but I love it. I feel like if you look at the people that we have and we’re not even practicing with the vets or anything like that, but even the guys we have right now, everybody’s athletic. Everybody has to do a lot of things which fits to my skill set. I just love what the coaches have going on here as far as what they’re asking the players to do, how we’re attacking offenses, and really our mentality as a defense. I like what we have going on.”
(On the difference in defensive schemes) “Not a whole lot, it’s mainly the front. Even then we still have a nickel. We call it 4-2 front. We can swap, we’ve been doing that. 3-4, that’s a little bit newer, but at the same time it’s not too much of a difference for me.”
(On his relationship with rookie LB Chad Muma) “[He’s] a great dude. From the first time I met him. Even after he got drafted and we hit each other up, but even now especially I told him it’s a mutual thing. We’re pushing each other to get better. I mean even after practice we’re getting extra work and we’re helping each other in the meeting rooms. Really, it’s just kind of being there for each other. We’re competing against each other but at the same time we’re both good people, so we want to see each other do better.”
(On the post-draft hype about him and LB Chad Muma’s college numbers) “I get tagged in it so I see it, but that’s in the past. I’m really focused on what I have to do to get better than that last year. You can’t feed into that. You can’t think I’m this, I’m that. You have to continue to get better.”
(On why he chose 33 over 22) “Me personally, it came down to the decision where I really wanted to let 22 be [former Utah teammates] Aaron [Lowe] and Ty [Jordan]’s legacy. That’s their number, that’s their legacy. I think it would’ve been an awesome representation to wear that, but that’s their legacy and I don’t want to touch that legacy. I honored them and that’s why I always wear this red band. This is the red band that we got at Aaron’s funeral, so that’s kind of how I honor them. But at the same time, 33 was really a number that fit my swag, that fit my play style. I’m going to be honest, it’s not like a ground breaking, news-breaking story why I got it, but I feel like out of the numbers available I really liked that one. I feel like it kind of fit who I was.”
(On his impressions of Head Coach Doug Pederson) “Coach [Doug Pederson], we always joke around, but you can tell he’s serious. He’s about getting better. He’s also a players’ coach like we’ll chop it up, like I said, we’ll play around. He’s somebody who’s fun to be around, but at the same time, like I said, when it’s work, it’s work and he’s about his work and he’s serious. He’s about everybody getting better
and understanding what to do. As long as we’re on the same page, I feel like he’s one of those coaches where he’s just worried about how can we be the best team.”
(On having fellow rookie linebacker Chad Muma on the same journey) “It’s definitely helpful [to have] somebody who’s in your shoes, understands kind of what you’re going through. Like I said, we’re there to help each other and I think it’s great. He’s a great resource for me and I’m a great resource for him.”
(On attending Utah’s opening game against Florida in Gainesville) “Man, I hope so. I haven’t heard the dates yet, but I heard that we might possibly be able to have that day off. So, if we do, I’m down there.”
