Bobcats' Kurtis Rourke and Sam Wiglusz named to East-West Shrine Bowl 1000

TAMPA, Fla. — Graduate students Kurtis Rourke and Sam Wiglusz were both named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000, as announced by the organization Monday. In total, 18 Mid-American Conference student-athletes made the list.
The 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl will be played Feb. 1, 2024, at the Dallas Cowboys Facility in Frisco, Texas. Recognized as the oldest college football all-star game in the country, 2024 marks the 99th edition of the East-West Shrine Bowl. Approximately 130 college football players from 100 universities will compete in the game and showcase their skills in front of NFL scouts and a national television audience.
Rourke (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) went 244-for-353 on 3,256 passing yards, throwing 25 total touchdowns in 11 games. The quarterback made program history against Fordham (Sept. 24), going for 527 yards in the air, breaking a record that was set in 1983. He is also second in program history in passing yards in a season as well as passing touchdowns in a season.
Rourke’s performance earned him numerous accolades, highlighted by being named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year, earning the Vern Smith Leadership Award and getting named the 2022 Cornish Trophy runner-up as well as earning First Team All-MAC honors. He was named one of the Manning Award “Stars of the Week” twice, was a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist and was also named to the 2022 Phil Steele First Team Offense in addition to earning MAC Offensive Player of the Week three times.
Off the field, he was named Academic All-MAC, 2022 Academic All-America Second Team and earned MAC Scholar Athlete of the Week honors once.
Wiglusz (Brecksville, Ohio) led the receivers in 2022 with 11 touchdowns on 73 catches and 877 yards. The wide receiver opened the Bobcats’ homecoming game against Akron (Oct. 8) with an impressive 75-yard catch, scoring Ohio’s first six points just 12 seconds into the game. His breakout performance earned him First Team All-MAC, 2022 Academic All-America Second Team and Phil Steele First Team Offense honors.
The Bobcats are set to open the 2023 season on Aug. 26 when they take on the San Diego State Aztecs. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on FS1 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, Calif. Homecoming is set for Oct. 7 against Kent State.