INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana quarterback Kurtis Rourke addressed the media Friday at the 2025 NFL Combine, providing an update on his recovery following ACL revision surgery on Jan. 8.
Rourke played the entire 2024 college football season with a torn ACL, leading Indiana to an 11-2 record and its first College Football Playoff appearance.
Rourke initially suffered a partial ACL tear in his right knee during the summer of 2024. An MRI confirmed the injury, but doctors cleared him to play despite potential discomfort and instability.
“They said I might have some nagging [discomfort] throughout the season. I had some instability issues,” Rourke said. “But I just wanted to play through it. I just wanted to make sure I could be available for every game.”
Following Indiana’s loss to Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff, Rourke discovered he had completely torn his ACL at some point during the season. Despite this, he had continued playing without informing Indiana’s medical staff of any additional discomfort.
In addition to his knee injury, Rourke fractured his right thumb in October during Indiana’s win over Nebraska. The injury required surgery and forced him to miss one game before returning to finish the season.
“I was healthy enough to play, and that’s all that mattered to me,” Rourke said. “I wanted to make sure I gave it everything I had this year, especially being my last year [in college].”
Rourke speculated Friday that the full ACL tear may have occurred during fall camp but could not pinpoint a specific moment.
“[The trainers] said it was going to be all right, and I was able to walk it off and finish practice,” Rourke said, reflecting on a specific moment in fall camp ahead of the 2024 season. “That’s my best guess [when it happened], but there’s no way to know for sure.”
Despite limited mobility, Rourke had a historic season. He threw for 3,042 yards—fourth-most in Indiana history—while setting school records for completion percentage (69.4%) and total touchdowns (29). He led the Big Ten with 27 passing touchdowns and posted the highest passer rating in the country (181.4).
Rourke said his knee injury did not significantly alter his playing style, as he has always been a pass-first quarterback.
“A little bit here and there it changed my mindset,” Rourke said. “I feel very confident throwing the ball, and so that’s what I like to do anyway. So it didn’t really change too much of what I usually want to do, but I definitely had it in my mind.”
With his ACL repaired, Rourke is now focused on recovery and preparing for the 2025 NFL Draft, where he is projected as a Day 3 pick. It’s unclear if Rourke will lay participate in drills at the combine, as he targets NFL training camp for his complete return to football activities.
NFL teams evaluating Rourke will weigh his toughness and leadership alongside his on-field performance as they determine his potential at the next level.
“I look at how great the team did and how well I was able to perform with the torn ACL,” Rourke said. “I just look at it and want to tell teams that if I did that on a torn ACL and a broken thumb, imagine what I could do when I’m fully healthy.”
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