No experience, no problem.

Oliver乌鸦传媒檚 Jamie Fortune has learned a lot about playing football with the Okanagan Sun.

Fortune has gone from playing basketball and hockey and is getting educated on how to be an offensive lineman and he乌鸦传媒檚 getting more comfortable each day. It has been a long road since being nervous at the Sun乌鸦传媒檚 spring camp.

乌鸦传媒淚t was a completely new experience,乌鸦传媒� said Fortune of training camp. 乌鸦传媒淚 think I did pretty well for the fact I never played football before.乌鸦传媒�

Since making the Sun, which is 6-3 in the , Fortune has been the field four nights a week. He also hits the gym twice a week. The challenge has been to keep up his energy levels.

乌鸦传媒淭he season is such a grind. It乌鸦传媒檚 not something I乌鸦传媒檓 used to,乌鸦传媒� said Fortune, when the Sun was 6-0 at the time. 乌鸦传媒淭ough to find the motivation or the drive. I think I乌鸦传媒檝e done a pretty good job of it.乌鸦传媒�

Fortune caught the Suns乌鸦传媒� radar while playing high school basketball. The coach on the other side was the Suns乌鸦传媒� special teams coach. After the game, he approached Fortune and said to give him a call if he ever wanted to play football. Fortune followed up and started working out in April. Fortune said offensive line coaches Bryan Theissen and Ray Wheatley have been awesome. Fortune listens to the veterans who have taken him under their wing.

乌鸦传媒淚f I don乌鸦传媒檛 understand something, I乌鸦传媒檓 not afraid to ask these people questions,乌鸦传媒� Fortune said.

One of those teammates is Quinn Horton, who is affiliated with the Calgary Stampeders. Fortune said it乌鸦传媒檚 great learning from him. One thing Fortune has noticed about the offensive/defensive lineman is his footwork.

乌鸦传媒淔or a big guy, he乌鸦传媒檚 so smooth on the field,乌鸦传媒� said Fortune. 乌鸦传媒淎nd poise. He乌鸦传媒檚 a very calm guy.乌鸦传媒�

Sun head coach Ben Macauley has praised Fortune乌鸦传媒檚 efforts.

乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 hanging in there and he乌鸦传媒檚 learning very quickly,乌鸦传媒� said Macauley. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 got a great attitude.乌鸦传媒�

Macauley explained to Fortune that it would be very difficult to get playing time on the current roster, which includes Rashaun Simonise 乌鸦传媒� who saw preseason action with the NFL乌鸦传媒檚 Cincinnati Bengals.

乌鸦传媒淔or him to come in with no formal football experience, and progress the way he has is very impressive,乌鸦传媒� said Macauley.

Injuries would be one of the reasons to change the Suns乌鸦传媒� plan with Macauley.

乌鸦传媒淲here he has come in a few months, we feel pretty confident that he could handle himself when he gets the opportunity,乌鸦传媒� said Macauley. 乌鸦传媒淲e want him to go in and have success, not just go in and get his butt kicked. When we乌鸦传媒檙e at that point when we feel like he乌鸦传媒檚 going to go in and have success, then that will be when he goes in.乌鸦传媒�

Although Fortune is a rookie to the game, he has seen plenty of football on TV.

乌鸦传媒淢e and my dad (Tom) are both pretty big B.C. Lions fans,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淚 just liked watching it. There is a big difference between watching it and trying to make it happen.乌鸦传媒�

Fortune乌鸦传媒檚 goal is to earn a scholarship to a Canadian Interuniversity Sport team.

Macauley likes Fortune乌鸦传媒檚 upside and sees earning a scholarship as a possibility. Once this season is over, he will have to put in the work for next season to get faster and stronger. Doing that, Macauley said Fortune could battle for a starting job.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e pretty confident that he乌鸦传媒檚 going to be successful,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 fit right in. Right from the get-go they (teammates) understood, some of them coming with more experience, that he was going to need a little extra encouragement to stick with it. They have all been really supportive of him. Likewise, whether he is in the game or not, he乌鸦传媒檚 picking other guys up and encouraging them too. That乌鸦传媒檚 what we want to see.乌鸦传媒�

Macauley likes Fortune乌鸦传媒檚 乌鸦传媒減ro size乌鸦传媒� of 6-foot-5, 275 pounds, along with his long arms and great feet. One of the first things the Sun look for with linemen is their feet.

乌鸦传媒淚 know he乌鸦传媒檚 got basketball and hockey experience, so he乌鸦传媒檚 an athlete. It乌鸦传媒檚 not enough just to be a big guy,乌鸦传媒� said Macauley. 乌鸦传媒淎 common misconception that just because you are big, you can play. He乌鸦传媒檚 kind of got the whole athleticism package to go along with the size. That makes him very valuable.乌鸦传媒�