St. Bede’s Tyreke Fortney to play at Illinois State

Senior wide receiver will be preferred walk-on

St. Bede senior Tyreke Fortney always has wanted to play football at the next level.

That dream has become a reality.

Fortney has committed to playing football at Illinois State University as a preferred walk-on.

“I chose ISU because not only is it a close to home, but the chance to play at such a high level has always been a dream of mine,” said Fortney, who also considered Quincy, McKendree, Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Augustana. “It means the world to me having the opportunity to play at a Division I level.”

St. Bede coach Jim Eustice said he’s proud of Fortney for achieving his goal of playing at the Division I level.

“It’s exciting for everybody involved,” Eustice said. “It’s nice to know our program is continuing to send kids on to the next level. To go to a level like Illinois State, that’s going to be a huge challenge for Ty, but he has a work ethic that I think is going to get him through it. He is certainly a talented individual and has the speed and athletic ability to be great there.”

Fortney was named to the Friday Night Drive Team of the Year at receiver as a junior and senior.

As a senior, he caught 41 passes for 992 yards and 10 touchdowns while running for 302 yards and five scores on 38 carries.

Fortney helped the Bruins to an 8-3 record and an appearance in the second round of the IHSA Class 1A playoffs.

“I will bring character and dedication to the game,” Fortney said about what he’ll add to the Redbirds. “I enjoy making people work harder. I’ll also bring my speed. My teammates and I will have that winning mentality and brotherhood that can’t be broken.”

Fortney said he expects to play receiver at ISU but is “willing to adapt to where my team needs me.”

“He can get from zero to full speed right now,” Eustice said. “I can see him being an inside slot type receiver. It’s going to be hard for a linebacker to cover him. It might be some time before he gets there. As a freshman walk-on at that level of program, he’s going to have a lot to learn and a lot to adjust to. But he has determination, and this is what he wants and has wanted for a long time. Everybody is happy for him. Best of luck to him.”

Fortney joins a Redbirds program that went 4-7 in the fall and 1-3 in the 2021 spring season after a 2019 season in which ISU went 10-5 and reached the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals.

“[My goals at ISU are to] first off, graduate, become an All-American, receive a scholarship by my sophomore year, make sure people remember me for my game and character and continue my dream of football,” Fortney said.