Joe Fortunato (long snapper)

Joe Fortunato (born April 7, 1994) is an American football long snapper who is a free agent. He played college football at Delaware and has spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Green Bay Packers.

Early life and education[]

Fortunato was born on April 7, 1994, in Linwood, New Jersey. He attended Mainland Regional High School, competing in football, baseball, and basketball. On the football team, he played quarterback, tight end, and long snapper, helping them win the state championship in 2008. In baseball, he was a first baseman and pitcher, and led his school to a 13–5 mark as a senior. He was a forward in basketball and helped them achieve a 19–4 record in his only year with the team. He was a National Honor Society Student.^[1]

Fortunato enrolled at the University of Delaware. As a true freshman in 2012, he earned the long snapper duties and appeared in all 11 games. He recorded two tackles on punts. As a sophomore, he again played in all 11 games. As a junior, Fortunato added long snapping duties for field goals, as he previously only was on punts. He made two tackles in the season. He appeared in every game as a senior.^[1]

Professional career[]

Fortunato went unselected in the 2016 NFL Draft. He received a tryout with the Philadelphia Eagles, but was not signed.^[2] About a year later, he was signed by the Indianapolis Colts, but was waived on May 1.^[3] In 2018, he received a tryout with the Atlanta Falcons, but was not signed.^[2] He was invited to mini-camp with the New York Giants in 2019, but was not given a contract.^[2] After competing in the specialists combine in 2020, Fortunato was signed by the Dallas Cowboys, but was released on August 1.^[3] He was signed by the Green Bay Packers in 2021, and was released during training camp on August 5, 2021.^[4]

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