Confident Jurkovec Set to Play Hometown Panthers
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Over the course of the past nine months, Boston College signal caller Phil Jurkovec has transferred from Notre Dame, received his immediate-eligibility waiver, won an offseason quarterback battle, and registered a pair of 300-yard games in his first three collegiate starts.
Most importantly, however, he’s gained his confidence back—something that he said was waning during his two years in South Bend.
It was on full display Wednesday when a smiling Jurkovec took a playful shot at Beantown.
“Boston is a very cool city because of how many good sports teams there are,” the redshirt sophomore said. “They try to say it’s the ‘City of Champions,’ but it’s not really the ‘City of Champions.’ Pittsburgh always will be.”
Jurkovec, a western Pennsylvania native, grew up watching Pitt and Notre Dame football. He still remembers the Panthers’ heartbreaking 45-44 loss to No. 5 Cincinnati in the de facto 2009 Big East title game.
Jurkovec was a fourth grader at the time, but the game is ingrained in his memory. In fact, he said that he was just talking to offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. about the devastating loss the other day. Interestingly enough, Cignetti was Dave Wannstedt’s offensive coordinator that season, and Jeff Hafley was coaching the Panthers’ secondary.
A three-year starter at Pine-Richland, Jurkovec emerged as a high school star in Pittsburgh. His video game numbers reflected his 87th overall Class of 2018 recruiting ranking. As a senior in 2017, the dual-threat gunslinger posted a 39:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio while rushing for more than 1,200 yards and 24 scores. Jurkovec set the state single-season record with 5,180 total yards of offense that year.
He got looks from several Power Five schools across the country, including Pittsburgh, which, according to Jurkovec, offered him a scholarship. Ultimately, he picked Notre Dame “off of the brand name.” It didn’t work out the way that Jurkovec envisioned, though. He sat behind Ian Book for two years, only attempting 18 total passes in cleanup duty.
When he entered the transfer portal on Jan. 8, Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi once again reached out to Jurkovec. It’s important to note that, about a week before Jurkovec put his name in the portal, Pittsburgh added Arizona State transfer quarterback Joey Yellen. Jurkovec mentioned that he had positive interactions with Narduzzi, but he also emphasized that, this time around, he was really focusing on fit.
“It was pretty clear what school wanted me the most,” Jurkovec said.
Hafley and Cignetti were on Jurkovec right when he got in the portal. He visited the campus soon after, and a few days later he officially made the move and enrolled in classes.
“I was very honest with him,” Hafley said Wednesday. “I told him I couldn’t promise him that he’d be our starting quarterback. I told him he’d have to win the job.”
Jurkovec bet on himself and did just that.
Because COVID-19 cut spring ball short, Jurkovec, along with his teammates, had to learn the offense over Zoom and stitch it all together during training camp. He really hadn’t taken snaps under center and huddled up since his middle school days. Yet he worked extensively with Cignetti to understand the scheme and put himself in a position to be the team’s starter.
“[Cignetti’s] really flipped football for me—made it fun again, made it into the way it’s supposed to be,” Jurkovec said. “I think the whole coaching staff does that. They allow us to play free.”
Jurkovec expressed his appreciation for Hafley and Cignetti and said that he loves how they recognize that no two quarterbacks are the same.
Hafley said that he tried not to have too many expectations for Jurkovec, purely because he hadn’t started a game since high school. In the first-year head coach’s eyes, Jurkovec is a rookie. And like any rookie, he’s had his ups and downs this fall.
The Notre Dame transfer struggled in the first half of BC’s first two games, stepping up into pressure, holding onto the ball too long, and missing open receivers.
Then, last Saturday, he threw an interception on the Eagles’ potential game-tying two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter. But that play was the exception to an early-season rule: Jurkovec has been elite in the second half.
Extending plays and hitting his receivers on the money, the 6-foot-5, 226-pound gunslinger completed his final 10 passes at Duke, 12 of his last 14 throws in BC’s comeback win over Texas State, and 8-of-10 attempts on his final drive against then-No. 12 UNC.
He’s on pace to become the first BC quarterback in seven years to finish a season with a completion percentage above 60%. Last week, he was the first BC quarterback since Matt Ryan to log at least 56 pass attempts in a single game.
“On the field, he’s been showing really great play, and that makes his confidence keep skyrocketing,” right guard and co-captain Ben Petrula said. “Everybody around him is supporting him, so he kind of feels a little bit better each day and [can] turn into that elite quarterback that we know he’s going to be.”
Hafley talked Wednesday about how hard Jurkovec works at his craft. The 41-year-old head coach recounted how, the previous night, Jurkovec was in the quarterback room after 9 p.m. watching tape. Hafley said that “that’s what the kid’s made of.”
Jurkovec will be going up against some familiar faces this week. He suited up with tight end Grant Carrigan at Pine-Richland, he squared off against Damar Hamlin when the defensive back was at Central Catholic, and he even played versus safety Paris Ford during offseason 7-on-7s.
He said it’s going to be a little weird being on the same field as those guys again. It’s a game that has added meaning for Jurkovec, who—like his new head coach—holds a special place in his heart for the city of Pittsburgh.
“It’s really a dream,” he said. “Just growing up and watching Pitt all the time. And then now getting the chance to play them. … I’ve played against a lot of those guys, I know a good amount of them. So it’s going to be fun.”
Fun.
A word that a rejuvenated Jurkovec has been using a lot lately.
Andy Backstrom
Staff Writer
Over the course of the past nine months, Boston College signal caller Phil Jurkovec has transferred from Notre Dame, received his immediate-eligibility waiver, won an offseason quarterback battle, and registered a pair of 300-yard games in his first three collegiate starts.
Most importantly, however, he’s gained his confidence back—something that he said was waning during his two years in South Bend.
It was on full display Wednesday when a smiling Jurkovec took a playful shot at Beantown.
“Boston is a very cool city because of how many good sports teams there are,” the redshirt sophomore said. “They try to say it’s the ‘City of Champions,’ but it’s not really the ‘City of Champions.’ Pittsburgh always will be.”
Jurkovec, a western Pennsylvania native, grew up watching Pitt and Notre Dame football. He still remembers the Panthers’ heartbreaking 45-44 loss to No. 5 Cincinnati in the de facto 2009 Big East title game.
Jurkovec was a fourth grader at the time, but the game is ingrained in his memory. In fact, he said that he was just talking to offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. about the devastating loss the other day. Interestingly enough, Cignetti was Dave Wannstedt’s offensive coordinator that season, and Jeff Hafley was coaching the Panthers’ secondary.
A three-year starter at Pine-Richland, Jurkovec emerged as a high school star in Pittsburgh. His video game numbers reflected his 87th overall Class of 2018 recruiting ranking. As a senior in 2017, the dual-threat gunslinger posted a 39:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio while rushing for more than 1,200 yards and 24 scores. Jurkovec set the state single-season record with 5,180 total yards of offense that year.
He got looks from several Power Five schools across the country, including Pittsburgh, which, according to Jurkovec, offered him a scholarship. Ultimately, he picked Notre Dame “off of the brand name.” It didn’t work out the way that Jurkovec envisioned, though. He sat behind Ian Book for two years, only attempting 18 total passes in cleanup duty.
When he entered the transfer portal on Jan. 8, Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi once again reached out to Jurkovec. It’s important to note that, about a week before Jurkovec put his name in the portal, Pittsburgh added Arizona State transfer quarterback Joey Yellen. Jurkovec mentioned that he had positive interactions with Narduzzi, but he also emphasized that, this time around, he was really focusing on fit.
“It was pretty clear what school wanted me the most,” Jurkovec said.
Hafley and Cignetti were on Jurkovec right when he got in the portal. He visited the campus soon after, and a few days later he officially made the move and enrolled in classes.
“I was very honest with him,” Hafley said Wednesday. “I told him I couldn’t promise him that he’d be our starting quarterback. I told him he’d have to win the job.”
Jurkovec bet on himself and did just that.
Because COVID-19 cut spring ball short, Jurkovec, along with his teammates, had to learn the offense over Zoom and stitch it all together during training camp. He really hadn’t taken snaps under center and huddled up since his middle school days. Yet he worked extensively with Cignetti to understand the scheme and put himself in a position to be the team’s starter.
“[Cignetti’s] really flipped football for me—made it fun again, made it into the way it’s supposed to be,” Jurkovec said. “I think the whole coaching staff does that. They allow us to play free.”
Jurkovec expressed his appreciation for Hafley and Cignetti and said that he loves how they recognize that no two quarterbacks are the same.
Hafley said that he tried not to have too many expectations for Jurkovec, purely because he hadn’t started a game since high school. In the first-year head coach’s eyes, Jurkovec is a rookie. And like any rookie, he’s had his ups and downs this fall.
The Notre Dame transfer struggled in the first half of BC’s first two games, stepping up into pressure, holding onto the ball too long, and missing open receivers.
Then, last Saturday, he threw an interception on the Eagles’ potential game-tying two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter. But that play was the exception to an early-season rule: Jurkovec has been elite in the second half.
Extending plays and hitting his receivers on the money, the 6-foot-5, 226-pound gunslinger completed his final 10 passes at Duke, 12 of his last 14 throws in BC’s comeback win over Texas State, and 8-of-10 attempts on his final drive against then-No. 12 UNC.
He’s on pace to become the first BC quarterback in seven years to finish a season with a completion percentage above 60%. Last week, he was the first BC quarterback since Matt Ryan to log at least 56 pass attempts in a single game.
“On the field, he’s been showing really great play, and that makes his confidence keep skyrocketing,” right guard and co-captain Ben Petrula said. “Everybody around him is supporting him, so he kind of feels a little bit better each day and [can] turn into that elite quarterback that we know he’s going to be.”
Hafley talked Wednesday about how hard Jurkovec works at his craft. The 41-year-old head coach recounted how, the previous night, Jurkovec was in the quarterback room after 9 p.m. watching tape. Hafley said that “that’s what the kid’s made of.”
Jurkovec will be going up against some familiar faces this week. He suited up with tight end Grant Carrigan at Pine-Richland, he squared off against Damar Hamlin when the defensive back was at Central Catholic, and he even played versus safety Paris Ford during offseason 7-on-7s.
He said it’s going to be a little weird being on the same field as those guys again. It’s a game that has added meaning for Jurkovec, who—like his new head coach—holds a special place in his heart for the city of Pittsburgh.
“It’s really a dream,” he said. “Just growing up and watching Pitt all the time. And then now getting the chance to play them. … I’ve played against a lot of those guys, I know a good amount of them. So it’s going to be fun.”
Fun.
A word that a rejuvenated Jurkovec has been using a lot lately.
