Nathan Rourke is one of the most successful Canadian quarterbacks in recent history, but a family member is upstaged him this year.
His brother Kurtis is midway through an excellent season with Indiana University and is starting to garner Heisman Trophy consideration. The younger sibling has 14 touchdowns, a 73.8% completion percentage, and 1,752 passing yards in the NCAA so far this year.
The Heisman Trophy is awarded annually to the best player in college football and was first given out in 1935. Despite nearly 90 years of winners, no Canadian has ever been among them. While he’ll need a big second half of the season, Kurtis could make history this year.
ESPN writers have the Canadian fifth on their most recent Heisman watch list. Oddsmakers aren’t quite as optimistic about his chances but still place Rourke firmly inside the top 15 candidates.
“He’s always been a very natural thrower of the football,” explained Nathan about his brother in a recent interview on Rider Radio.
“He’s got the size, he’s got the arm talent, and I think he’s in an offence that is willing to build their plan around him and what his strengths are.”
Sixth-year senior Kurtis transferred to Indiana for this year after spending his college career at Ohio, the same school Nathan attended. The team went 3-9 last season but has already doubled its win count, as they’re currently 6-0.
Indiana currently sits first in the Big 10. They lead the conference in scoring, ranking ahead of traditional powerhouses like Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan.
There are challenges ahead for Rourke and his teammates. The team’s schedule gets significantly harder in the second half of the year, with games against Washington, Michigan, and Ohio State.
Indiana is ranked No. 16 in the country right now so they’re no slouches themselves. If Rourke can continue to lead his team up the rankings while putting up strong numbers, making history is a possibility.