Toughness Not an Issue as Rourke Prepares for NFL Draft
Pete DiPrimio | IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - NFL opportunity will come. Kurtis Rourke believes that, works for that.
With the NFL Draft set for April 24-26 in Green Bay, the former Indiana University standout quarterback remains limited by off-season knee surgery, but limits are easing.
Opportunities, he hopes, are coming.
“It’s all part of learning and growing,” he says. “Every year, I grow and learn as a quarterback.”
Growth for now comes in measured doses. The 24-year-old Rourke can jog and do light throwing. He is visiting teams, including the Indianapolis Colts earlier this week. Projections have him as a possible fourth-round pick with high-quality backup potential, and perhaps a starter in the right situation.
Top quarterback prospects include Miami’s Cam Ward, Ole Miss’s Jaxson Dart, Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Texas’s Quinn Ewers, and Ohio State’s Will Howard.
Rourke is also a possible top pick in the CFL Draft. His older brother, Nathan, plays quarterback for the CFL’s BC Lions.
Toughness is not an issue. Last season, his first as a Hoosier after transferring from Ohio, Rourke played through a torn ACL and a busted-up thumb on his throwing hand. He put up numbers -- completing 69.4 percent of his passes for 3,042 yards, 29 touchdowns, and five interceptions -- that earned him second-team All-Big Ten accolades. He was a catalyst for a team that went 11-2 and played in its first-ever postseason playoff.
One of those interceptions came with that injured thumb on a Hail Mary pass attempt at the end of the first half against Nebraska. Rourke finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was named the 2024 Jon Cornish Trophy winner. That annual award is given to Canada’s best college football player.
Take that knee injury, which wound up being a totally torn ACL. Rourke hurt it back in July. Doctors told him he could play on it, “and that was all I needed.”
“Thankfully, I stayed in the pocket a lot more. That helped a bunch.”
Take the thumb, which included having his nail torn off. It cost him a game and a half. He played the final five games.
“With the thumb and the knee, there was some (discomfort),” he says. “I didn’t play healthy, but I wanted to be out there and finish the season.”
Along the way, Rourke showed the toughness and leadership crucial for an NFL quarterback. He got asked about it during late February’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis.
“(Toughness) was a talking point, for sure,” he says. “A lot of them didn't understand or know I did that, that I could play with those injuries. It’s a fun story to tell.
“I wanted to tell the story truthfully and let them know I only missed one game playing with a torn ACL and a broken thumb.”
At the Combine, Rourke didn’t do any drills or physical testing, but did interview with coaches and scouts to jump-start the relationship-building process.
“The Combine was awesome,” he says. “Being around the best of the best, being able to meet a bunch of teams and go through the interview process. Even though I wasn’t able to do anything, it was one of the more valuable experiences. I’m happy with the way it went.”
Rourke says coaches and scouts also asked a lot of questions about his learning and playing styles.
“There were also a lot of questions about the season and how we put Indiana on the map. I tried to convey I was grateful to be part of a great team. That helped prepare me for the next level. I’m eager to learn. I learned a lot the last couple of years.”
Former IU defensive lineman CJ West also was at the Combine and made a big impression.
“It was awesome to see, especially how much he’s helped himself and how much he’s shown he belongs at the next level after maybe being under-looked during the season,” Rourke says. “I’m thrilled for him. I’m excited to watch his (NFL) journey. I know it will be a long one.”
Rourke also attended IU’s Pro Day, and didn’t participate in drills, but did talk to coaches and scouts. Rourke says it was great to be back with former teammates such as receives Myles Price and Ke’Shawn Williams.
“They were in great shape,” Rourke says. “I was excited to watch them run and show up.”
As far as next season, IU seeks to surpass last year’s playoff run under second-year coach Curt Cignetti. It has again loaded up with transfers, including quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who thrived at the University of California the past few seasons.
Rouke says the IU staff “will prepare you for success.”
“This offense is set up, and if you buy in, you will win games. Coach Cig is the ultimate winner. Everyone on the staff has shown it, as well. All the new guys coming in need to trust the process and trust the staff. They know what they’re doing.”