Nicktroy Fortune's Confidence is at an All-Time High
West Virginia returns six starters on the defensive side of the ball in 2021 from a unit that finished in the top five in most defensive categories a year ago. The Mountaineers also had the nation's top pass defense, allowing just 159.6 yards per game. That said, there's been some shake up in the secondary this offseason both on the field and on the sidelines. Tykee Smith transferred to Georgia, following co-defensive coordinator Jahmile Addae, and then Dreshun Miller surprisingly entered the transfer portal and landed at Auburn.
One of the key members of the secondary that is returning is junior Nicktroy Fortune. The Roswell, Georgia native earned a couple of starts in his true freshman season then became a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2020. In 21 games, Fortune has notched 52 tackles, five pass breakups, two tackles for loss, and one interception. He's been solid in pass coverage but still has some room to grow. Earlier this offseason, head coach Neal Brown said that he wanted Fortune to take more chances and play more aggressively.
Playing press coverage has been something that has taken Fortune some time to get used to. During the first couple of years, he played safe and assured himself that he wasn't going to allow many big plays to happen. To be a successful corner at this level, you have to be willing to gamble from time to time. What kept Fortune from doing so was his confidence. He talked about the moment where his confidence reached a very low point.
"The lowest it got was when I was thrown in the Texas game and I gave up that touchdown. It got really low because at that point, I was a freshman and going to the sideline you could hear a lot of people being negative. For me, how I was able to get out of that was I'm a big believer in my faith. It was a lot of prayer, it was a lot of talking to my brothers who are like my therapists, and just reminding myself of who I am and that I'm here for a reason. I didn't come here to not play and stuff like that, I came to make an impact."
As time went on, Fortune learned how to regain his confidence.
"I was thrown into the fire freshman year and my confidence got tested a little bit. I got beat a couple of times but the biggest thing was just knowing that even in the greats get beat. And when you get beat, you got to keep your head held high. I just did a good job of when I got beat, know how I got beat and then come back again and try to make a play."
Now that he has experience under his belt as a starter and has went 1v1 with some of the best receivers in the Big 12 Conference, it's now time for Fortune to take that next step. Executing press coverage plays a huge role in that and he made sure to focus on that in the summer months and has spilled over into fall camp.
"There's been a couple of times where coach had to tell me to chill and back off. One thing about me, before I didn't really want to press because I'm such an off-man [corner], like coming out of high school I played a lot of off-man. So, I made it a big emphasis since the spring to just walk up and press. I've definitely taken a lot more risks. I went from conservative to now just playing a lot more aggressive. To make next level plays, you have to take risks."
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
WVU Defensive Position Battles to Watch in 2021
Exree Loe Reaping the Rewards of Sticking it Out at WVU
What Happened to Jordan Jefferson in 2020? Jordan Lesley Explains
You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us Twitter:
Facebook - @WVUonSI
Twitter - @SI_WVU and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.
