When the Pitt coaching staff decided to make a quarterback change following a loss to Virginia Tech last season, it effectively ended the Phil Jurkovec experience — but it did open up another avenue.
Jurkovec — who measured in Wednesday at nearly 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds — is trying to make it as a tight end at the next level. He’s been working at the position since October, since the bye week before Louisville. While he only received one offensive snap after switching from quarterback to tight end, he’s optimistic about the future.
“I think I’ve got soft hands, I can catch the ball really well, but just working on the types of cutting, doing all of that, especially getting more one-on-one types of reps,” Jurkovec said Wednesday after his Pro Day showing. “That’s why I’d love to get into a camp and compete.”
He hasn’t been anything but a quarterback since he was a youth player. He rose quickly through the youth ranks, developing into one of the best quarterbacks in the WPIAL and a high four-star recruit, but his eventual college career was marred by injuries and inconsistency. The flashes of brilliance were few and far between toward the end.
But even as Christian Veilleux usurped Jurkovec as the starting quarterback at Pitt, Jurkovec remained a steadfast supporter in the room. He continued to look for a way to help the Panthers, and it led to the position change.
“When it first happened, we thought it was a joke, but then it was like, ‘Okay, he’s really in here,’ so we brought him under our wing with everything that we were working on,” Pitt tight end Malcolm Epps said Wednesday. “I would teach him if I saw him doing wrong. … I had to make sure he was okay.”
Despite being demoted, Jurkovec remained a dedicated teammate. He was a prominent figure in the offense, working with the quarterbacks and the tight ends, and despite the difficult situation, he never once sulked.
Jurkovec embraced his new position. He worked with the tight ends last season, not seeing the field much, but he still served as a player who could get his teammates going. Jurkovec, while he might not have seen the field much, never lacked energy. It’s a new position, but it’s still the same dream. And he’s enjoyed it so far.
“It’s been fun, a whole different position, whole different way of training, but it’s been fun,” Jurkovec said. “I’m making a lot of progress with it, too.”
Jurkovec has turned to former Pitt tight end J.P. Holtz and former Notre Dame tight end Tommy Tremble for some help, and it may just help that he’s a new face. He hasn’t truly played as a tight end at the college level, spending five-and-a-half seasons as a quarterback, so it’s a different journey. It helps that he’s a former quarterback who liked throwing to tight ends, sure, so he would like to recreate that. But it goes much deeper than just being a quarterback-turned-tight end.
“There’s a steep learning curve, there’s a lot to learn, but I think I’m making a lot of progress, and I’d just be willing to put in the work and see how it goes,” Jurkovec said.
Jurkovec completed 57-of-112 pass attempts (50.9%) for 818 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions through four-and-a-half games last season, and that didn’t tell the full story. It didn’t work.
He threw for 6,224 passing yards with 43 touchdowns and 20 interceptions — adding 627 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground — in his college career. He put together his best season under Frank Cignetti Jr. at Boston College in 2020, but it went downhill in the following seasons.
He never truly played tight end at the college level, not with just a few games left in his collegiate career, but he measured and tested pretty well Wednesday. He’s big and physical, but he tested well in the process — 33-inch vertical, 9-foot-4 broad jump and a 4.86 4-yard dash. He was happy with his jumping.
It remains to be seen whether or not Jurkovec will garner the NFL Draft interest he once expected, but he feels like his Pro Day showing (and perhaps his collegiate experience) will lead to an opportunity down the line.
“I think there’s some curiosity, a couple of teams have talked to my agent, and I’m confident that somebody will give me a shot,” Jurkovec said.
The 2024 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 25-27 at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich., and while Jurkovec may be a long shot, he’s still a potential Pitt Panther who is looking to make his mark at the next level.
That’s funny
He certainly sulked on the sidelines on game days. He never once engaged with either of the two QB’s during games to encourage or give advice. Never happened.
Yeah, as an NFL Ball Boy.
Ok skippy. Jagoff