JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – There is only one more day of minicamp for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then the team will have six weeks off until returning for training camp. Now is the time for the younger guys to get more attention from the coaches. When you look out at the field during Jaguars minicamp, you only see one guy in a red jersey. That’s rookie quarterback Nathan Rourke.
“Nathan’s done a good job,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. “He’s very diligent in his approach. He throws a good ball. He’s the guy that continues to get better and master the system.”
Rourke is dedicated, which is evident in his commitment to not miss any workouts - even for the biggest day of his life.
“I think I certainly have shown improvement since the first day that I got here,” Rourke said. “Hopefully they can see that I’ve got a great work ethic and all my focus is here on football. I got married on Saturday and I’m here back at minicamp on Monday.”
Rourke doesn’t get a relaxing honeymoon this week. Instead he’s getting one-on-one practice and all of the reps with the offense.
“It’s tough being the guy behind two really good quarterbacks,” Rourke said. “You have to take a lot of mental reps. That’s just part of pro football. Nothing really beats doing the real thing so I’ve been appreciative of the way they’ve done things and being able to give me a chance.”
Earlier this year the Jaguars signed Rourke to a reserves/futures contract.
“I think [Trevor] is just a true professional,” Rourke said. “Him and CJ have taught me a lot. Learning this offense, they’re going into their second year, I’m going into my first. Being able to pick up off of some mistakes they’ve made earlier in the year and they’re able to correct and go on that amazing run that they did last year. Being able to pick up off of those things, being in the meeting room, ask those questions, see their routines is all valuable to me.”
It’s Rourke’s first time competing in the NFL, but he has two seasons of professional football on his resume.
“I think it’s a huge benefit to be able to be in a pro system and to be able to learn how to be a pro,” Rourke said. “I’ve learned from some really great players up in the CFL.”
The Ontario native played in the Canadian Football League for two seasons. He was drafted in the second round of the 2020 CFL Draft by the BC Lions, but due to COVID-19 the 2020 CFL season was canceled so Rourke couldn’t officially sign with the team until 2021.
This past season he won the CFL Most Outstanding Canadian award and set the all-time league record in completion percentage (78.7%) and passing yards in a single game (488). Rourke started in 11 of 22 games completing 76% of passes for 4,035 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He also ran the ball 57 times for 415 yards and 12 touchdowns.
“I’ve been overlooked in a lot of different areas in my life and my career,” Rourke said. “I’ve learned something from every single visit, every single stop. Certainly, haven’t had anything handed to me and I’ve been able to hang around just enough to be able to get to the next place.”
The QB played college football for Ohio University. Now he’s getting his shot to live out his childhood dream and using his previous pro experience to adjust to his new league.
“This is an organization that supports their players and loves the team,” Rourke said. “You can definitely tell that from the facilities and the amount of attention that you have on the players. The other thing, the throws have been a little bit different. The field is a little bit smaller.”