Former UCF QB Blake Bortles embraces life after football
Blake Bortles doesn’t have a care in the world.
“I’m just working on my golf game and enjoying life,” said Bortles, the former Oviedo, UCF and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback.
He was at the Bounce House on the UCF campus Saturday to take part in the celebration of the 2013 Knights team that went 12-1 and won the Fiesta Bowl, running away from Baylor 52-42. The Knights became the first team in school history to end the season ranked in The Associated Press Top 10, finishing 10th.
UCF suffers stunning loss to Baylor in Big 12 home debut
UCF lost Saturday’s rematch with Baylor in shocking fashion, giving up a 35-7 lead in the second half as the Bears made a furious rally to win 36-35. It was the worst collapse in UCF history.
Bortles, however, like many of the fans, likely was already on his way home by the time Baylor mounted its comeback. The 2013 squad was honored at halftime, but many of them left the game after that.
Instead of being a quarterback these days, Bortles is playing daddy to his 5-year-old daughter Remi and his 2-year-old son Bowen. He’s enjoying his life and he said the children are enough to keep him busy.
“It does keep me busy, for the most part. So once they both are in school full-time, I’ll probably have to find something to do,” Bortles said, laughing.
The 6-foot-5, 236-pound quarterback had quite the football career that took him to the top of the world over a period of about five years. He led UCF to its best season ever, at that time, and built a high-enough profile that he became the third overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Picked by the Jaguars, his dream kept getting better. He was starting his professional career just two hours from home. Bortles eventually guided the Jags to the AFC Championship game in the 2017 season. He was one win away from the Super Bowl but fell short to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, 24-20.
The following season is when everything turned. After the 10-6 2017 season, things were looking up in Jacksonville, but that was more of a mirage. Reality hit, Bortles didn’t play very well and the Jags, overall, became mediocre. They finished 5-11 in 2018
“It was [difficult}. It was a lot,” Bortles said. “Obviously great times here at UCF, and ending on a high note in the Fiesta Bowl, and then going and getting drafted was all a dream come true.
“And then it kind of quickly became a reality of knowing you have to play at a high level and win football games when you are in the NFL and, if not, they’re going to give your job to someone else.”
In his first three seasons in Jacksonville, he started every game but three and the Jags managed just 11 wins combined from 2014-16. Bortles completed just 58% of his passes (1,003 of 1,706) and had a combined 11,241 yards passing for an average of 11 yards per catch. He also had 69 touchdowns, with 35 in his second season in 2015.
Former UCF QB Blake Bortles retires from football
In his fourth season, he finally put it all together, completing 60% of his passes (315 of 523) for 3,867 yards, 12 yards per catch and 21 touchdowns. The Jags qualified for the playoffs as a wild-card at 10-6 and nearly knocked off the Patriots.
Bortles and the Jags were on Cloud 9, looking forward to more success in 2018. That never happened, with Bortles starting just 12 games, going 3-9. He had his lowest totals as a pro, throwing for 2,718 yards and 13 touchdowns.
What happened, Bortles said, was a combination of a lot of things.
“I knew all of that going in and what I signed up for. There were a lot of reasons for it,” Bortles said. “Honestly, though, I enjoyed every second of it. The good, the bad and all of it.”
He had been near the top of the mountain in the 2017 season’s playoffs.
UCF walked through hell to get to the Big 12 | Commentary
“It was awesome. We had a really good team and we had a really good year,” Bortles said. “I wish we were all still there doing it, but things go the way they went the following year and we’re clearly all in different places now.
“It was an awesome run and I thought we had a chance to go do the same thing the following year, and maybe even go further, but for whatever reason, a lot of reasons, we weren’t able to replicate that in 2018.”
The reality of the collapse hit him hard.
“At that point I thought things were going pretty well, but I think that’s kind of the nature of the beast in the NFL,” Bortles said.
Saturday, however, was time to reminisce and celebrate the glory days of UCF’s championship season in 2013. More than 50 former players returned to the Bounce House and they had a party Friday night as well.
“It’s special,” Bortles said. “I haven’t seen some of these guys in 10 years, so to get to spend time with them and reminisce that year in 2013 was special and a really good time.”
Former UCF Coach George O’Leary was also among those returning to the UCF campus, and Bortles still keeps in contact with his old coach. Bortles, who played quarterback at Oviedo High, was recruited as a tight end by most NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision schools, but O’Leary gave Bortles a chance to remain a quarterback.
“I talk to him probably once a year,” Bortles said. “I get a great annual phone call that I always look forward to.”
Chris Hays covers high school football and college football recruiting, as well as the NFL. You can find him on Twitter @OS_ChrisHays or on Instagram @os_chrishays. Email him at chays@orlandosentinel.com.
