Lions regrouping after foot injury to QB Rourke

SURREY, B.C. — He's out of action for the foreseeable future but quarterback Nathan Rourke still provided his teammates with an emotional lift by attending practice Monday.

“Just to see his smile, man — his smile lights up a room,” said receiver Dominique Rhymes, who has a CFL-high nine touchdown catches this season. "He’s more than just a teammate, he's more of a brother."

The Lions (8-1) are regrouping after learning Rourke will undergo foot surgery. He suffered a Lisfranc sprain in his right foot in the fourth quarter of B.C.'s 28-10 road win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Friday night.

Rourke, 24, of Victoria, leads the CFL in passing yards (3,281), touchdowns (25) and completion percentage (79.2). He's broken the record for most passing yards in a game by a Canadian multiple times, establishing the present mark of 488 yards Aug. 13 in 41-40 win over the Calgary Stampeders.

His play made Rourke a serious contender for the CFL's outstanding player award. On Monday, he wore a walking boot and used a knee scooter to avoid putting any weight on his injured foot.

"I'm obviously aware of how special this group is so not being able to be a part of it is a huge letdown," he said. "I wanted to be able to finish it out with those guys and see where this team can go."

But veteran receiver Bryan Burnham said the Lions can succeed during Rourke's absence.

"We're still a very good team," he said. "Nathan elevated us, but we're still a very good team.

"My pain was just with Nathan because he was having a record-breaking season. It hurt when I heard the news. I honestly felt physically sick. At this point in my career, I would trade places with him in a heartbeat."

Canadian Michael O'Connor becomes the Lions' quarterback now. The 26-year-old Ottawa native will make his first CFL start Friday when B.C. hosts Saskatchewan to complete the home-and-home series.

O'Connor has seen limited action this season. He completed all five passes he attempted Friday night for 36 yards and is nine-of-12 passing for 63 yards in 2022.

"He works hard in the weight room," Lions head coach Rick Campbell said. "He works hard in the quarterback room staying engaged and doing his thing.

"And he knows the offence. He knows the reads Anytime he's ever gone into a game or when he gets reps in practice, he makes the correct reads, he makes the correct checks. All those things, which means he's mentally into it."

O'Connor said the key for a backup quarterback is to always be ready.

"I've been working hard," O’Connor said. "I've always said you never know when an opportunity is going to come but it’s going to come one day.

"It's unfortunate this is how it happened. I feel terrible for Nate but at the same time, I've got to be ready to keep this thing rolling."

Burnham said O'Connor took charge of the offence Monday.

"Nathan set the bar very high but I don't think (O'Connor) is thinking about that too much," Burnham said. "I think he's just coming in, ready to lead the team and expectations are we're going to continue doing what we're doing.

"We still have great playmakers all around the field. I think he's going to come in and run the show. The huddle is his. He took command of the huddle in walkthrough and we all understand that. You need to lean on us to go up and make plays, and that’s what we're going to do."

Rourke said he'll have surgery once the swelling in his foot subsides, likely by the end of this week. While the Lions said Sunday they're hopeful Rourke might return late in the season, Campbell isn't holding his breath.

“I'm of the mindset he's not going to be back," he said. "I think that's a bonus if that happens, but we'll see what happens."

For now, Campbell is content to go with O’Connor with veteran Antonio Pipkin serving as the backup. Kevin Thomson comes off the injured list after being hurt in a preseason game May 28.

"We like all three of those guys," Campbell said. "We were high on Kevin coming out of training camp and he got hurt.

"And Pipkin’s been a great addition — in the locker room and in the meeting room and out here. He’s a very enthusiastic guy and our guys really like him. Those three guys, I know, together will work hard, and Nathan will do his stuff. Nathan's not one to feel sorry for himself or anything like that, so he'll be engaged in any way he can over the next few weeks."

And while O’Connor is proud to follow in Rourke’s footsteps as another Canadian starter, he’s also ready to play his own game.

“I mean, he's special right?” O’Connor said. “But like I say, I’m not here to be (No.) 12, I’m here to be (No.) 11.

"Whatever I can do to help the team get a win, that’s my goal."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 22, 2022.