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Kurtis Rourke played 2024 season with torn ACL, report reveals
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Kurtis Rourke had a season for the ages in 2024, leading Indiana to the first double-digit win total in program history as the 11-2 Hoosiers made the College Football Playoff. It turns out Rourke was playing through a major injury.
Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network shared via Rourke’s agent that the 3,000-yard passer played through a torn ACL.
Indiana star QB Kurtis Rourke, a 2025 NFL Draft prospect, will undergo ACL revision surgery Wednesday, per his agent Casey Muir at @octagonfootball.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 3, 2025
Rourke is believed to have re-torn his ACL in August — yet amazingly played and led the Hoosiers to the playoff. One tough dude. pic.twitter.com/0bZze2ZMrC
Zach Osterman of the Indianapolis Star reported further details. Per Osterman, Rourke partially tore his ACL “during the summer.” As Pelissero noted, Rourke is believed to have re-torn the ligament in August. Osterman reports that Rourke did not tell IU medical staffers of any further discomfort or aggravation, so no further exams were conducted after the summer injury. Rourke originally injured the ligament in 2022 when he played at Ohio.
Rourke played in 12 of Indiana’s 13 games this season, throwing for 3,042 yards. He rewrote school record books with 29 passing touchdowns and a completion percentage of 69.4%.
The game Rourke was missed not because of the ACL but due to a broken thumb in the win over Nebraska. He returned for the Michigan State contest and played the remainder of the 2024 campaign.
Indiana’s 2024 campaign ended with a 27-17 loss to Notre Dame in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
