Nathan Rourke has 鈥榮omething to prove鈥� in NFL with Jaguars
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (BVM) 鈥� Growing up in Oakville, Ontario, Nathan Rourke developed a true passion for football. As he watched one of the NFL鈥檚 best players at the time in Brett Favre, Rourke, like many young kids, dreamed of competing on an NFL field himself someday.
For many, as they grow up, the reality eventually sets in that reaching football鈥檚 highest level might not be attainable. However, that鈥檚 a thought that Rourke never let enter his mind. While it鈥檚 been a journey that has seen a lot of ups and downs, the Canadian quarterback has finally achieved one of his lifelong dreams.
This past January, Rourke signed a reserve/future contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2023 season, earning his long-awaited opportunity in the NFL.
B.C. Lions QB Nathan Rourke, who set CFL records last season before visiting with 12 NFL teams in recent weeks, has chosen to sign with the Jacksonville Jaguars, per source. Rourke will be expected to compete to back up Jaguars鈥� QB Trevor Lawrence.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
https://twitter.com/nathan_rourke/status/1614692883898183680
鈥淚t鈥檚 been pretty surreal to be honest,鈥� Rourke said about his time in the league thus far. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those things where you kind of have to pinch yourself and it kind of has to sink in still for me, just with where I鈥檓 at, who my teammates are, and just kind of the scale of things.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those things where you have to really stay grounded and be like, 鈥楬ey, it鈥檚 just football, these are just people and I belong here.鈥� It鈥檚 been a pleasure to get to know this organization, and everyone here is an absolute class act. I鈥檓 fortunate to be in a very good quarterback room with some great players and some great coaches which is very, very important. I鈥檓 just really looking forward to continuing to build and move forward from this point.鈥�
While Rourke looks toward his future, it鈥檚 his past that has him ready for this moment. Beginning his high school football career at Holy Trinity in Oakville, the quarterback had to play a season at Edgewood Academy in Alabama just to get noticed by colleges in the states.
He eventually ended up playing a season at Fort Scott Community College in Kansas before finally earning a D-1 opportunity at Ohio University. Before long, Rourke began to flourish with the Bobcats, throwing for 7,457 yards while rushing for another 2,634 yards across three seasons as he led Ohio to three consecutive bowl appearances.
Even after that, Rourke went undrafted in 2020, and his only real NFL opportunity came in 2021 as he worked out with the New York Giants. However, the team wanted to use Rourke as a receiver rather than the quarterback position he desired to play.
While the NFL frustratingly wasn鈥檛 working out, Rourke got an opportunity in the Canadian Football League (CFL) after being selected by the BC Lions in the league鈥檚 2020 draft.听
But after another high again came a low, as Rourke鈥檚 first CFL season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, Rourke began the year as a backup, but got some playing time that proved his potential at the end of the season.
In 2022, the Lions moved forward with Rourke as their starter, and it turned out to be a brilliant decision. Rourke got off to a record-setting start last season, throwing for 3,281 yards and 25 touchdowns across the Lions鈥� first nine games as the team got out to an 8-1 start.听
HISTORY: has set the single-game passing yards record by a 馃嚚馃嚘 QB.
— CFL (@CFL)
鈥淭hat season, for me, was a lot of neat stuff, and a lot of really high highs at the beginning,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淎nd then the way the season progressed, it ended up being a season of extreme highs and extreme lows.鈥�
WHAT A THROW!
Nathan Rourke connects with Bryan Burnham for a 53 yard TD for the Lions.
— TSN (@TSN_Sports)
The low point came as Rourke suffered a foot injury in the Lions鈥� Week 11 contest against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, sidelining him for multiple weeks. While Rourke returned late in the year, the Lions had trouble finding their early-season momentum, eventually falling to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the league鈥檚 Western Final.
鈥淚 certainly look at it as a season where I learned a lot,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淚 felt like I grew up quite a bit 鈥� I think at the end of the day, when you start the way that you did, as a team, and you鈥檙e a part of something that special, when you鈥檙e in it, you really take it for granted.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a season where I hope for the rest of my career I can look back and learn from that, and I can get better from it as a result.鈥�
While the end to the season was difficult, Rourke鈥檚 incredible play did open the eyes of many around the NFL. Throughout the season, the 24-year-old didn鈥檛 want to think about joining the league, placing all his focus on what he could do for the BC Lions.听
But when he got injured, and once the season eventually concluded, Rourke and his camp began exploring his NFL opportunities. Although the injury may have caused less interest in the quarterback, Rourke still worked out for several teams, even at less than 100%.
BC Lions QB Nathan Rourke, who led the CFL this season in passer rating, is set to begin working out for NFL teams next week. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Rourke is from Ontario, played collegiately at Ohio, had a record 78.7 completion % last season, and now has NFL visits lined up.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter)
When it was time to sign, however, it was the Jaguars that ultimately stood above the rest.
鈥淛acksonville definitely stood out in terms of the way that they treated me as a player,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淭hat was certainly one of the reasons they seemed like an obvious choice.听
鈥淭he other reasons are the situation here. They told me from the get go that they wanted me to come in here and be one of three guys. That just wasn鈥檛 going to be the case in some other situations. It was important for me to be able to go somewhere that I felt like I was going to get an opportunity to be on the active roster and have a chance to compete 鈥� I felt like I was giving up a lot to go chase something, and have to work back up the ladder, so I really wanted to make sure I was in the right situation.鈥�
While the NFL has long been Rourke鈥檚 dream, it was also not easy to leave what he had in the CFL behind, particularly with the season he and his team had last year.
鈥淟eaving my coaches and my teammates was the toughest thing,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淚 thought that we had some momentum as a team. But I think at the end of the day, the timing, and the way that my career has gone so far, it鈥檚 the right move to go as quickly as we can, and try and take advantage of the opportunity that I have now.
鈥淚 have no doubt that if I would鈥檝e stayed, we would鈥檝e had the chance to do very similar things that we did in 鈥�22. I have no doubt with the core pieces that remain intact in BC, they have that same opportunity with or without me. Just knowing that I could have been a part of something special, it was tough to walk away, for sure. But at the same time, I鈥檓 very grateful for this opportunity and I鈥檓 making the most of it.鈥�
https://twitter.com/CFL/status/1614704361883697153
Starting over and becoming a small fish in a big pond is something Rourke is familiar with from his past in the sport, but it is another factor that made the decision to leave the BC Lions a tough one.
鈥淚t was super difficult,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 really understand that until you get into the building here. I鈥檝e been learning a new offense and starting again at the bottom rung.
鈥淵ou kind of go through that process where you鈥檙e a nobody, you work your way up, you have some success, you get treated a little bit differently and things are comfortable 鈥� To start over is just really a big jump into a lot of situations outside of your comfort zone. That鈥檚 not easy. There鈥檚 a lot of people who don鈥檛 know who you are, and don鈥檛 necessarily care. You have to work your way up again.鈥�
However, he is confident in being able to make his imprint in the league. Going back to his high school days, the 24-year-old has always had a chip on his shoulder, and that will continue to serve him well going forward.
鈥淚 think I鈥檒l always feel like I鈥檒l have something to prove to people,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just been the trajectory of my career going all the way back to being a Division I hopeful out of Canada. I think that always trying to get on the radar and trying to get someone to believe in me will probably always be the case for me.鈥�
Perhaps one of the biggest draws for Rourke to Jacksonville was also where the franchise stands currently. Last year, the Jags finished strong, winning the AFC South and making it all the way to the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. The run was due in large part to the emergence of former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence, who thrived in Doug Pederson鈥檚 system down the stretch.
Now, Rourke has the opportunity to learn in the same quarterback room with one of the league鈥檚 budding stars, as well as a tremendous coaching staff.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a real pleasure to get to know Trevor and get to know C.J. Beathard as well,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e both class acts and just real welcoming guys 鈥� You can learn from them in a lot of different ways, on and off the field, just the way they handle their business as professionals.鈥�
Particularly from his time with the BC Lions, Rourke is no stranger to the backup quarterback role. In recent years, especially last season with the situation the San Francisco 49ers found themselves in, the importance of backups staying ready in case their number is called has only increased. For Rourke, that kind of situation is something he鈥檚 prepared for.
鈥淚t just really comes down to doing everything that I can to be ready,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 know when your number is going to get called 鈥� I鈥檓 going to continue to prepare that way and never take a week for granted. If it happens, it happens, it won鈥檛 be a surprise to me. That鈥檚 the way I鈥檝e prepared in the past, and I don鈥檛 think that will change in the future.鈥�
Rourke has only been with the Jaguars for a few months, and is just now getting his feet wet on the field with the team, participating in rookie minicamp, with OTAs set to begin later this month. While it鈥檚 a dream come true, the quarterback is now beginning to work towards his next set of goals.
鈥淥nce you achieve them, you have to set new ones, you have to continually move forward,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淎s a kid growing up in Canada, my goal for a very long time was getting a Division I scholarship, and obviously being in the NFL being the end goal. Once you achieve that, then you have to set new goals and new parameters that you strive for.鈥�
Some of those new goals for Rourke include getting on the field and eventually becoming a starter.
鈥淎n absolute dream of mine has been achieved,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淏ut as quickly as it can be given to you, it just as quickly can be taken away. I know that I can be a starter in this league, I just have to be patient, wait for that opportunity to come, and be ready when it is presented to me.鈥�
However, no matter where his career takes him, Rourke will never lose sight of his Canadian roots. A Super Bowl is the ultimate goal for the quarterback, and if he does win one, he would become one of the first Canadian born and raised players to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Canadians continue to make their impact in the league, with a record five players from the country recently selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, headlined by Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron.听
Rourke has a bright future ahead, and plenty of goals left to accomplish. But representing his country on the biggest stage will always continue to be at the forefront.
鈥淚 want to be part of a Super Bowl-winning team,鈥� Rourke said. 鈥淚 think that would be really special. I think Canadians have done such a great job of representing themselves this year in the draft. You鈥檙e seeing more and more Canadians drafted each year, continuing to make an impact. I think that being able to break that barrier would be great for the sport and great for the country.听
鈥淭hat鈥檚 certainly the goal right now. It seems like a longshot, but so was being in the NFL one day.鈥�
