Lions’ run on Nathan Rourke jerseys real, no ‘pipe dream’

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The B.C. Lions sold out of Nathan Rourke replica jerseys recently. 

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Lions co-general manager and director of football operations Neil McEvoy has been with the Canadian Football League club since 1995, when he started out in ticket sales. He can’t recall something quite like this ever happening with another player. 

There’s no word from anyone with the Lions about how many Rourke replicas they started out with and what they projected initially for sales, but it would seem to speak to the popularity of the 24-year-old, second-year quarterback and the buzz building around the Lions’ 6-1 start.

For those so inclined, the Lions’ store web page on Monday was promoting Rourke jerseys as “now available,” thanks to a “restock.”

“If you would have told me six months ago that we would have a point where we were sold out of Nathan Rourke jerseys I would have told you it was a pipe dream,” said McEvoy. “But here we are. It’s happened.

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“You certainly see a lot of Rourke jerseys walking around the stadium on a game day.”

Rourke was born in Victoria and grew up in Oakville, Ont. 

In a league desperate for Canadian quarterback continent, he was going to be noteworthy regardless of his numbers.

His stats, as it so happens, have been so good some nights that they prompt a double take to make certain you saw what you thought you saw the first time.

He completed 34 of 37 passes for 477 yards and five touchdowns in Saturday’s 46-14 romp over the Edmonton Elks. 

His 91.9 completion percentage on the evening established a CFL record for a quarterback with 30 or more attempts, bettering the 90.3 (28 of 31) put up by Ottawa’s Trevor Harris in 2016. Only two other quarterbacks have gotten to 90 per cent in game with 30 or more tosses — Jason Maas with a 27 of 30 for Edmonton in 2004 and Henry Burris with his own 27 of 30 for Hamilton in 2012.

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B.C. Lions vs. Calgary Stampeders

7 p.m., McMahon Stadium. TV: TSN. Radio: AM 730.

Rourke’s mark is the third best when you scale back to a minimum 20 attempts, behind Ricky Ray’s 95 per cent (19 of 20) with Toronto in 2013 and Ray’s 92 per cent (23 of 25) with Edmonton in 2008.

Ray set the CFL record for highest passer efficiency rating in a season in 2013 with his 126.4. He did that in 11 games, driven by 21 touchdown passes to just two interceptions. 

That bettered the league mark of 118.8 Dave Dickenson had put forth with B.C. in 2005, and Dickenson broke Ken Ploen’s 1962 standard of 118.2 when he was with Winnipeg.

Rourke is currently at 133.2. He also tops the loop with 2,418 yards passing and 21 touchdowns, putting him on pace to throw for over 6,200 yards and 54 touchdowns. 

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Doug Flutie set the touchdown record when he connected on 48 in 1994 with Calgary. There have only been five 6,000-yard passing seasons in league history, led by the 6,619 that Flutie put together for the Lions in 1991.

McEvoy is quick to say that credit for the Lions’ success needs to be spread out. He said Rourke has benefited from an offensive line that’s giving him time, from a running back in James Butler who is making things happen when he gets the chance to a receiving corps with three guys who would be the No. 1 option on most other teams.

That’s all true. Also true is the fact that Rourke has rarely looked like a young guy learning the ropes.

McEvoy wonders if Rourke didn’t benefit from getting first-team practice repetitions at times last year because starter Michael Reilly had arm injury issues. Reilly retired in the off-season and Lions coach Rick Campbell — who shares GM duties with McEvoy — immediately named Rourke the starter.

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“Michael knew he was leaving us in good hands. It made it easier for him to decide to retire,” McEvoy said.

Rourke has got so good so quickly that you’re starting to see suggestions the National Football League will come calling sooner rather than later. The money would be dramatically better south of the border, but McEvoy also believes that Rourke “is enjoying the chance he’s getting to play and get better … I don’t think he doesn’t want to be holding a clipboard somewhere right now.”

For what it is worth, Rourke has another season after this on his three-year rookie contract with the Lions.

Rourke and the team’s success hasn’t equated to increased sales at the ticket window as of yet, though. The Lions drew an announced crowd of 16,342 for the Elks game. McEvoy says that fans at B.C. Place Stadium seem more energized than the past couple of years. There’s that Rourke merchandise marker as well.

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“Things are trending in a positive way,” McEvoy said.

The team has historically drawn better in the fall. We’ll see if there’s a spike then, particularly if the success in the standings continues.

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