Male Athlete of the Year: Brennan Fortune
By Chris Potter
Last Updated:10:15 AM EST 4/29/08 Section: Sports
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No, the senior left tackle didn't record a single offensive statistic in 2007 (unlike Madden, the Empire 8 doesn't keep track of pancake blocks), but good luck finding anyone that says St. John Fisher College's vaunted offense would have been anywhere near as efficient without No. 58 driving defenders downfield with the force of a space shuttle launch.
The very nature of Fortune's position doesn't lend itself to easy recognition. Although he paves the way in the trenches, others get to cap off Fisher drives with touchdown celebrations in the end zone.
Fortune wouldn't have it any other way.
"I love being kind of the shadow," the Avon, N.Y., native said. "It's imperative for offensive lineman to work together as a whole, and our line is a close-knit unit. When you start talking to the media and getting a lot of recognition it creates individuals, which is kind of counterproductive to what we're trying to get done."
While Fortune may prefer to allow his play on the field speak for itself, the numbers Fisher's offense put up this season do more than enough to tell the tale of his impact.
With the help of Fortune's dominating run and pass blocking, the Cardinals rolled up 2,330 rushing yards, while the quarterbacks had enough time in the pocket to accumulate 2,704 yards through the air. The net result was an impressive 35.2 points per game and a second- consecutive E8 title.
"Fortune was a dominating player," coach Paul Vosburgh said. "You can see statistically our runs to the left were just outstanding. Our number one run was outside zone to the left, and he's the key man."
Classmate Ryan Hanson was a major beneficiary of Fortune's blocking prowess, racking up 1,114 yards. Hanson experienced first hand some of the gaping holes that Fortune and his fellow lineman created.
"Whenever a play was called in Fortune's direction, I always knew there was a possibility for a big play," Hanson said. "People may think that his job ends at the line, but many times I'd see him downfield blocking to create more opportunities, pushing defensive lineman so far back that it creates chaos."
When he wasn't punishing defenders in the running game, Fortune was busy protecting quarterback Rob Kramer's blindside, a key task of the left tackle position.
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