Jurkovec hopes to make a position switch at the NFL level.
The Steelers will have an interesting name attending rookie minicamp, with former Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec trying out for the team as a tight end, per the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Jerry DiPaola.
One of the top football players in Pennsylvania coming out of high school, Jurkovec struggled to live up to the hype as a quarterback, spending six years at the college level at Notre Dame, Boston College, and Pitt.
His best college season came at Boston College in 2020, when Jurkovec passed for 2,558 yards, 17 touchdowns, and five interceptions. At Pitt in 2023, Jurkovec passed for just 818 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. He added 60 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He’s struggled with injuries throughout his career.
Despite having spent his entire football career at quarterback, Jurkovec is hoping to make the switch to tight end at the NFL level. The 6’5, 235-pound quarterback reportedly ran a 4.88-second 40-yard dash at his pro day.
Interestingly enough, Jurkovec is the third undrafted quarterback who could be making a position switch at Steelers’ minicamp, with UCF’s John Rhys Plumlee and Dayton’s Cole Dow also likely to switch to switch from quarterback to pass-catcher at the NFL level.