A Canadian quarterback who played an entire All-Big Ten season at Indiana on a torn ACL before San Francisco drafted him in the seventh round.
Kurtis Rourke, younger brother of CFL quarterback Nathan Rourke, put together one of the best statistical seasons in Indiana history in 2024, all while quietly playing through a torn ACL he didn't reveal until the season ended. The Kitchener, Ontario native landed with the San Francisco 49ers as a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Path to the league
Rourke starred at Ohio University from 2019-2023, going 31-13 as a starter with 10,693 passing yards and 79 touchdowns, and won MAC Player of the Year in 2022 before tearing his ACL that same season. He transferred to Indiana for 2024, where he set the school's single-season passing touchdown record with 29 scores and led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff, then had ACL surgery in January 2025.
Career highlights
At Indiana, Rourke completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 3,042 yards and 29 touchdowns against just five interceptions, leading the Big Ten in yards per attempt, yards per completion and passer rating. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and won the Jon Cornish Trophy as the top Canadian player in college football in 2024.
2025 season recap
San Francisco selected Rourke in the seventh round, 227th overall, of the 2025 NFL Draft and signed him to a four-year deal worth $4.3 million. He spent his rookie year on the 49ers' roster behind the starting quarterback while recovering from his ACL surgery and adjusting to the NFL.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kurtis Rourke
- 49ers.com: Kurtis Rourke
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Quarterback
- Group
- offense
- College
- Indiana
- Hometown
- Oakville, ON, Canada
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
