Everything you’ve come to know about this historic 2024 IU football season stood in the balance a year ago.
Because for Kurtis Rourke, coming back to college for a sixth and final season wasn’t the only option on the table.
Whether it meant landing a spot somewhere in the NFL or joining his brother Nathan in the CFL, the then 23-year-old Rourke was seriously considering passing on his final season of college eligibility.
At 6-foot-5 with a big arm and plenty of accomplishments, Rourke no doubt would have landed somewhere as a pro this season.
But an attractive situation at Indiana, stepping up a level to play for a staff with a track record for developing quarterbacks and what he deemed an NFL style offense, made the return to college option the best bet.
And Rourke fully capitalized on the opportunity. He has completed 70.4% of his throws this season, has thrown for 2,827 yards, and he has 27 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions while leading IU to an 11-1 season and the College Football Playoff.
He finished ninth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy, and even garnered a couple first-place votes.
Viewed as a highly intelligent quarterback who can fully process the field both pre and post snap, Rourke has significantly enhanced his professional outlook following this season.
And he knows it.
“Going back to a year ago and deciding to see what was out there in the transfer portal and then deciding if I wanted to do that or go to the draft and kind of just bet on myself in that way, you know, looking back, I’m glad I made the decision to come here,” Rourke said on Tuesday evening as IU gets set to face Notre Dame in the first round of the CFP.
Rourke is one of several consecutive all-conference quarterbacks to play under IU coach Curt Cignetti, who described earlier this week what has allowed his signal-caller to play at such a high level on the Big Ten stage.
“I think schematically a lot of our pass plays, they have answers versus man-zone, one high-two high. He’s a quick thinker, and he processes quickly,” Cignetti said on Monday. “He’s extremely accurate, and he’s good in the pocket. He doesn’t panic. He’s a really good quarterback. He has certainly taken his game to another level, there’s no doubt about that.
“Since he’s come here on a bigger stage, I think he’s built on every success and developed more confidence and belief and continues to improve. I think you really saw that starting Game 2 and then out on the West Coast against UCLA. Then when you can involve 10, 12 different guys in terms of touches between running backs, tight ends, and receivers, that’s a great thing to have multiple guys that can separate, get open, and make plays.”
But for all the talk this week about Rourke’s accomplishments, he wasn’t ready Tuesday evening to begin reflecting, or thinking about his professional career.
Rourke knows it has been a special season for him, his coaches and teammates, and the fans.
But he also knows Indiana is now in a tournament, the tournament, with an unbelievable opportunity still in front of them.
And he’s in no hurry for this run to end.
“I really have cherished this year, cherished all my years in college,” Rourke said. “Just knowing this (game at Notre Dame) could be the last possible college game definitely comes to my mind but also I’m taking it as a positive and motivating, that it’s one more chance to have a great opportunity to play with the guys and this team that’s been so successful.
“Just really using it to motivate me even more than I already have to go out there, have fun, enjoy it. We’ll talk about my last college game in four games.”
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