Jimmy Jeong/CFL.ca
Since the day he left the CFL for NFL opportunities, most Canadian football fans have longed for a Nathan Rourke return North of the border.
Why?
That answer is different for each individual which makes the variety of responses so intriguing to me. As a BC Lions fan your dreams of reliving the sensational 2022 campaign when Rourke won Most Outstanding Canadian have been reignited. Many CFL fans love Rourke for the way he carries himself and would respond with some form of “he’s good for the game”. For others it’s the rare pleasure of watching a Canadian not just start but make elite plays at the quarterback position.
This combination of rarity, national passion and the always dangerous word ‘expectation’ have turned an already entertaining CFL season into one we’ll all likely be talking about for a long time to come.
While I enjoy all of these storylines, what really matters is the tangible on-field product. As a refresher here are some of the ways Rourke separated himself from the field the last time he donned a Lions uniform.
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Quick Game
Getting the ball out quickly with a low average depth of target isn’t exactly a revolutionary concept in the CFL, especially this season. The difference is some quarterbacks do it from habit, others from limitations, but Rourke uses his quick release and pre snap processing to get the ball out with deadly efficiency.
The home run shots will come, the running game will factor in, but this is the biggest upside of Rourke if memory serves true from a few short years ago.
Short Yardage
Does your teams quarterback stay in on second down or third down with a yard or two to go? Some do, other teams employ monster backups like Tommy Stevens in Calgary whose ability to get the yard needed is special.
Rourke is the rare pocket passer who doesn’t blink when plunging forward to move the sticks. It’s a combination of toughness and maturity that reaches well beyond his birth certificate. Some quarterbacks begrudgingly take on this task, I always got the sense Rourke embraced it which sets the tone for anyone else on the roster asked to do a little dirty work.
When your star and leader does these kinds of things it can only help the locker room vibes.
Deep Ball Accuracy
The mark of a great quarterback in the CFL is a combination of ruthless efficiency and making the most of game breaking deep shots. When Rourke had the chance to open up his strong arm and really let it fly down the field in 2022 what jumped out to me consistently was the deep ball accuracy.
There is little more frustrating as a CFL fan than a wide open receiver down the field being wildly under or over thrown. Rourke’s attention to detail on throwing mechanics and consistency in delivery help all of this and allow BC to confidently call vertical shots knowing Rourke can cash them in, just like Vernon Adams Jr. before him in orange.
Sneaky Wheels
Perhaps the most underrated part of Rourke’s skill set – thanks in large part to his well rounded prototypical passing skills – is his athleticism. I was calling a Lions game in Ottawa early in 2022 when Rourke was in for a short yardage sneak, he leaned left, turned the corner and casually out ran everyone for a 50-yard rushing touchdown out of thin air.
The wheels are impressive and clearly a part of his game that’s the result of hard work and well guided training, but Rourke’s ability to know WHEN to take off and run is what really makes the difference. A couple times a game he’ll burst for a few dozen yards. Those are the snaps that make defenders eyes roll as they had everything else taken away.
Emotion
From screaming celebrations to a painful end of season in Winnipeg, Rourke plays the game with as much heart as any player in the CFL. It’s clear his internal motivation is kept under wraps for much of the game as he manages everything that goes into being a CFL quarterback. A couple times a game you get a chance to see the real Rourke and the kind of fire he clearly has driving his career aspirations forward.
