A five-time Pro Bowl selection, he was the captain and signal-caller for the Bears defense, leading to an NFL Championship in 1963.
Prior to the NFL, Fortunato played fullback and linebacker for Mississippi State University, and made All-American in 1951.
In his senior season, he was selected honorable mention All-American and All-SEC after leading the Bulldogs with 779 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
In February 1956, former Bears quarterback and Hall of Famer, Paddy Driscoll was hired by Halas as his successor as head coach.
The 47-7 loss in that game, coupled with a 5-7 season the following year, compelled Halas to reassign Driscoll and return as head coach in February 1958.
Allen's presence had a formative effect and in 1963, Fortunato guided the Bears league-leading defense (as captain and signal-caller) in scoring, total, rushing and passing as well as turnovers.
After the Bears won the 1963 NFL Championship, Fortunato stood on a chair in the locker room and delivered a short speech on Allen’s importance to the team and tossed him the game ball.
He became known for his charity work in Mingo Junction, where a highway was named after him, and Natchez, where he started the Joe Fortunato Celebrity Golf Classic to raise funds for education in Mississippi.
[10] He was a recipient of the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA) HEROES award in 2000 for his founding of the Joe Fortunato Celebrity Golf Classic.