Nathan Rourke’s return to the CFL did not go as planned for the BC Lions quarterback.
The signal-caller suited up for the West Division team after spending more than a year bouncing around the NFL. His presence resulted in one of the biggest football crowds at BC Place in years.
The result was not what the tens of thousands of fans were hoping for. Rourke finished the game with zero touchdowns and two interceptions. He completed just eight of 25 passes, and the Lions lost 20-11, dropping their fourth consecutive game.
The newest member of the team and 2022 CFL Most Outstanding Canadian accepted a lot of responsibility for the loss postgame.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to say something, and hopefully, it answers all your questions,” said Rourke at the start of his press conference, butting in before any reporters could ask a question.
“I want to take this moment to publicly apologize. That was not my best football right there. As a quarterback here, it’s never a one-person job, but it is the position where you have the ball in your hands every single play, and I didn’t make enough plays.”
He goes on to say that the short week (he was signed less than a week ago) is no excuse for his play on Sunday. The Bombers do have a strong defence and they shut out the Lions at the start of the month.
“I know that I’m better than this,” continued Rourke. “I’m sorry to the team who stuck their necks out for getting me here and allowing me to play, the rest of my teammates, [whose] effort is never going to be an issue.”
“I’m sorry to the fans, I know there was a lot of excitement going into this game and I didn’t deliver. I’m going to be making sure if this is a starting point, we’ve only got up to go from here.”
Expectations for Rourke’s return to the Lions were much higher than his horrid performance on Sunday. The Lions immediately became Grey Cup favourites after the news of his signing broke.
The Lions now have a 5-5 record and are second place in a tight West Division. They play again on Saturday against the Ottawa Redblacks.
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