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Kurtis Rourke (Midge Mazur | Ohio Athletics)

Football: Kurtis Rourke is forging his own identity, as a Rourke and as a quarterback

Kurtis Rourke has always followed his older brother, Nathan. 

The brothers grew up in the same hometown of Oakville, Ontario, 20 miles south of Toronto. The two went to the same high school and even played for the same club football team growing up. When Nathan joined the Bobcats, Kurtis wasn’t far behind, enrolling at Ohio in 2019.

Now, the redshirt freshman has an opportunity to continue the Rourke legacy at Ohio but with a catch. Rourke will be his own man, and he doesn’t care about the comparisons between his older brother and himself.

“It doesn't bother me because I've grown up with that,” Rourke said. “We have the same last name, and we came from the same place and grew up in the same area, but at the end of the day, we play our game with different styles. I just embrace it and show what I can do.”

The Oakville native redshirted last season but was briefly given the reins in Ohio’s 66-24 rout of Bowling Green on Nov. 19. He didn’t pass but did manage three runs for 20 yards in his collegiate debut.

Since then, the redshirt freshman has been eager to prove himself and connect more with the rest of the team. Rourke considers himself more outgoing than his older brother. While they both maintained friendships on the field, Kurtis always tries to extend himself to his teammates outside of Peden Stadium if he can.

With his eagerness to reach out to his team, Rourke is attempting to make up for his lack of play time with his offense. Whoever starts this season will have less chemistry with the offense than Nathan, who had started since the 2017-18 season. Kurtis knows this, and is attempting to work with them as much as possible to make up for what little time they have on the field together.

“I want to continue to achieve by just getting to know and getting that chemistry down with the older guys, whether that's upfront, in receivers or running backs,” Rourke said. “They had a three-year starter with Nathan, and I want to step in and make sure that we're on the same page, and we're understanding each other.”

After practice, Rourke will stay behind to work with several receivers, including Shane Hooks and Cam Odom. Since the Mid-American Conference announced the return of football Sept. 25, many of the Bobcats have been staying behind longer in order to work out the kinks in their game.

Rourke thinks this will benefit the whole offense, not just himself.

“We've all been just getting extra work and making sure that we're ready for when we play,” Rourke said. “It's great to see the growth that they've been able to do well adapting with me and Armani and C.J. and how they're kind of working with us in order to make their game better.”

Rourke is currently one of the frontrunners for the vacant starting quarterback spot, alongside redshirt senior Armani Rogers. With limited time before they travel to Central Michigan on Nov. 4, the Bobcats are still unsure who will be under center.

Rogers has the experience of three seasons at UNLV under his belt and is considered a better rusher than his fellow quarterbacks. Rourke, however, has an advantage in his arm. Coach Frank Solich has noted Rourke has potential to be a great passer for the Bobcats.

“(Rourke) is really an excellent thrower,” Solich said. “He's got good enough movement to be able to slide in the pocket and find his receivers. He's inexperienced, but he's had reps with our offense, and the more reps he gets, the better he'll become. He has the ability to be a great passer.”

Offensive coordinator Tim Albin has also taken note of Rourke’s arm. While having a strong passer is beneficial for Ohio, Albin is still evaluating who he thinks should start, if it even comes down to one. 

Solich and Albin have flirted with the idea of entering the season with multiple quarterbacks and seeing who performs the best. The two-starter system was most recently implemented in the 2017-18 season when Nathan Rourke shared play time with Quinton Maxwell.

“We're trying to do the best we can with the reps and be as fair as we can,” Albin said. “As we get closer, we'll see how it plays out, but right now, I'm very pleased with the progress of all the quarterbacks right now.”

If Rourke were to be selected as the starter, he would be one of the youngest starting quarterbacks in recent memory for the Bobcats. It would also mean that a Rourke will have started for Ohio for four straight seasons. Comparisons would inevitably be drawn between him and his older brother, and the pressure to live up to the name would be immense. 

The noise and the chatter doesn’t bother Rourke. He knows how to tune it out. A fourth season of a Rourke at the helm of Ohio is his goal. He’s always followed his older brother.

@thejackgleckler

jg011517@ohio.edu

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