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Report: Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke played 2024 season on torn ACL, will have surgery on Wednesday

Stephen Samraby:Steve Samra•01/03/25•

SamraSource

Kurtis Rourke
Kurtis Rourke (Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

A new revelation has made Kurtis Rourke’s 2024 campaign even more awe-inspiring. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on Friday that the Indiana quarterback played throughout the historic season for the Hoosiers with a torn ACL.

Of course, Rourke led Indiana to an incredible 11-1 season, which was capped off with an appearance in the College Football Playoff. He received a bevy of Heisman votes, and while it didn’t end the way the Hoosiers wanted it to, with a loss to Notre Dame in the First Round of the CFP, it was still a landmark campaign for the program. Now, he’ll undergo surgery to fix any issues remaining with his knee.

“Indiana star QB Kurtis Rourke, a 2025 NFL Draft prospect, will undergo ACL revision surgery Wednesday, per his agent Casey Muir at @octagonfootball,” Pelissero posted on X. “Rourke is believed to have re-torn his ACL in August — yet amazingly played and led the Hoosiers to the playoff. One tough dude.”

The fact that Rourke spent the entire season with the injury and never used it as an excuse once, having his best season as a college football player against some of the best competition in the nation, is more than impressive. Without his play, Indiana’s incredible resurgence wouldn’t have been possible.

All told, Rourke passed for 3,042 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions while adding two rushing touchdowns to his resume, as well. It was his first season in Bloomington after spending five with the Ohio Bobcats, and he proved he could get the job done in the Big Ten in 2024.

No matter what his future holds in the football world, Rourke will always be remembered as one of the flag bearers who put Indiana on the map, especially if what Curt Cignetti has built proves to be more than a mirage. While they caught some flack early on for their performance against the Fighting Irish, the way other teams were blown out in the First Round has eased the tension.

Rourke will turn his attention to the NFL, and teams would be wise to take a flyer on the Indiana quarterback. He’s tough as nails, and the quarterback will certainly give it his all each time he’s on the field, for whichever franchise he ends up with at the next level.