Rourke turning heads

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This article was published 08/07/2022 (1159 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — It doesn’t matter which CFL team you support.

A Canadian excelling at being a professional quarterback is a beautiful thing to watch.

The unthinkable, unless you were around to see Hamilton native Russ Jackson dominate the three-down league in the 1960s with the Ottawa Rough Riders, has become a reality as no one is playing better than B.C. Lions quarterback Nathan Rourke, a 24-year-old who was born in Victoria but grew up in Oakville, Ont.

Rourke and the undefeated Lions are putting up insane numbers. In three games, Rourke has 1,077 passing yards, nine touchdown passes to two interceptions, and is completing 84 per cent of his throws. Rourke’s efforts have led the Leos to a 45.7 points per game average and a second down conversion rate of 63 per cent.

If Rourke keeps that up, Queen Elizabeth II might lose her spot on the loonie.

Rourke’s biggest test comes Saturday night inside B.C. Place when the Lions host the back-to-back Grey Cup champions, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

“If I were to just put my fan hat on, it’s pretty exciting for the CFL. It’s exciting for young, Canadian football players to know that they can play any position on the field,” said Bombers head coach Mike O’Shea on Friday at the team’s hotel.

“But tomorrow I’m not gonna have my fan hat on.”

Putting up big points and winning games is fun, but the attention that comes with it is something Rourke could live without.

“I’m certainly not used to being in the spotlight. There’s been a transition to having to talk to the media every single day and being asked similar questions about legacy when I’ve played three games,” said Rourke after Friday’s walkthrough at their practice facility in Surrey.

“Those types of things are not easy. I try to stay in the present and take it one day at a time, but it’s difficult when people are reminding me that there’s a bigger thing going on. Just trying to stay level and grounded with my teammates and they’re doing a good job keeping me there. We have to focus on what we have ahead and that’s a big challenge in Winnipeg.”

Bombers quarterback Zach Collaros has known about Rourke, who played college ball for the Ohio Bobcats, for quite some time. Collaros hails from Steubenville, Oh.

“I have a lot of friends that went to Ohio University so they’d always call and be like ‘Hey there’s a Canadian quarterback playing down here,’” Collaros said. “… He’s a great player, a young player, who’s going to continue to get better and I think it’s great for the league.”

Rourke is also tormenting teams with his legs. He’s rushed for 180 yards, the sixth most in the league, and three rushing touchdowns on only 15 attempts. Rourke, who tried out for the NFL’s New York Giants last year as a wide receiver, also set a team record with 39 pass completions in Week 3 against Toronto. Bombers offensive co-ordinator and former CFL quarterback Buck Pierce previously held the franchise record with 38.

“I think he’s a pretty grounded guy. I like to say he treats football like it’s the most important thing in the world, but he knows that it’s not,” said Lions head coach Rick Campbell.

“That’s not where he gets his self-worth, whether he wins a football game or not. That is the ultimate compliment. And the guys that understand that and live that way are the guys that I’ve seen have sustained success over time.”

FORMER BOMBER PROVIDES BULLETIN BOARD MATERIAL

The Free Press asked Lions defensive back Marcus Sayles for his thoughts on this year’s Bombers’ offence. Sayles, who played two seasons for the Bombers (2018-19), had some interesting words for his former team.

“Right now they look like they’re a little vanilla. Their receivers aren’t the same,” Sayles responded.

“Collaros is out there making plays, just like he normally does. He’s a great player, but he’s running around, searching to scramble to make some plays.”

“… They’ve been skating away by little points, so we feel like we can beat them pretty bad.”

The comment was brought to the attention of Bombers defensive end Willie Jefferson.

“He called our offence vanilla… now he needs to go out there and make a play against our vanilla offence,” Jefferson said. “If our offence can go out there and put up points, then our vanilla offence put up points against your amazing defence. He came out and said what he had to do and now he has to make his plays and do what he needs to do and not let our vanilla offence score.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31