Talent makes winning teams: Nathan Rourke leads the way as MVP quarterback

Senior Vice President of Business for the B.C. Lions football team, George Chayka, continued to draw balls from the raffle drum. The night started by choosing the last, number 28 spot in the draft lottery, and over time, worked up to the point where only the top two spots remained. Another ball was pulled – it wasn’t ours. That meant the number one draft pick went to Summit Steel Buildings in their first year sponsoring the team.

As in any professional draft, holding the number one spot provides a lot of power. Many of the other sponsoring companies made their pitch to trade for our better ranking. In the end, the Summit Steel Buildings team decided to use their ideal pick to draft the perfect player: quarterback Nathan Rourke.

Summit Steel Buildings is proud to partner with the B.C. Lions and honoured to be associated with Nathan Rourke as their sponsored player for the 2026 season. Every time fans see his profile in on the scoreboard, in the game program or on the big screens outside BC Place, our logo will accompany him, demonstrating our commitment to “The Pride” community. We firmly believe the Lions are destined to win the Grey Cup this year, and we hope our support will contribute in some small way to their on- and off-field success.

Quarterback, leader, Canadian

Nathan was born in Victoria, B.C. and grew up in Oakville, Ontario. He is accomplished amateur and pro football quarterback, with a history of success at every level he’s ever played. In college, he started three years for the Ohio Bobcats, leading them to three bowl game victories, and was twice named the John Cornish Trophy winner as the top Canadian football player in the NCAA.

Turning pro at the 2020 CFL draft, Nathan was chosen by the B.C. Lions to a three-year contract. He was the highest drafted Canadian quarterback since Jesse Palmer at the 2001 CFL draft. Nathan was relegated to the role of backup to veteran Michael Reilly in his first year but then exploded out of the gate when he took the helm as starter in 2022.

That year, he set a single-season CFL record for completion percentage with 78.7% of his passes for 3,349 yards and 25 touchdowns in just 10 games and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian. This success drew the attention from the league down south. After time in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Nathan returned to the B.C. Lions in 2024 with another three-year deal.

He’s since made the most of his opportunity. In 2025, Nathan surpassed 5,000 passing yards in a season, reaching 10,000 career passing yards – only the second Canadian quarterback in CFL history to achieve this milestone. He helped the Lions secure the second seed in the West Division and advance to the Division Finals for the 2025 Grey Cup. He was named the Most Outstanding Player in 2025, and for the second time, the Most Outstanding Canadian.

With years ahead to grow with the B.C. Lions, Nathan is poised to lead the team to new heights. He also hopes to play flag football for Canada at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Quarterback talent runs in the family. Nathan’s brother, Kurtis, currently plays quarterback for the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. He was also a standout quarterback at Ohio University (after Nathan left for the pros) before transferring to the Indiana Hoosiers and leading the team to their first 10-0 season and first appearance in the NCAA College Football Playoff.

A partnership in pursuit of greatness

Nathan’s accomplishments as a leader and role model are not to be taken lightly. He has established himself as one of the most prolific dual-threat quarterbacks and prominent figures in Canadian football. His dedication to overcoming early career adversity, commitment to his community and record-breaking statistical dominance serve as a major inspiration for young athletes across the country.

Read our article to learn more about the Draft-A-Lion program, and the amazing experience the Summit Steel Buildings team had on draft night.