Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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50 MARCH 2018 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN Out of the top 10 overall quarter- backs in the 2018 cycle per Rivals, six have enrolled early at their respective colleges. Early enrollment, especially for quar- terbacks, is becoming more frequent in order to learn the playbook quicker and potentially push for playing time during the first year on campus. Notre Dame quarterback signee Phil Jurkovec is one of the four quar- terbacks who will not skip his final semester of high school. Despite his competitive nature, Jurkovec couldn't pass up playing basketball for one more season at Gibsonia (Pa.) Pine-Richland. Why? He wanted to finish the job he started. Last season, Jurkovec helped lead the Rams to an appearance in the Class 6A state title game, but the team came up just short, losing 64-60 to Reading (Pa.) High. Like he did in football this past fall, Jurkovec wants to lead Pine- Richland to the promised land and bring home another championship be- fore he departs for Notre Dame. "That was a factor," Jurkovec told Blue & Gold Illustrated. "I wanted to go out on top. It's definitely not go- ing to be easy. Our team is different from what it was last year. But I just love how every year is a new chal- lenge. Every year is a different team and I love bonding as a group, as a new team and learning how to win. "I do think it is an advantage to be there early, but I wanted to stay for a number of reasons — to finish off my senior year because I'm never going to be around these people again." Jurkovec's football career includes a state title, a Pennsylvania Gato- rade Player of the Year honor, record after record and much more. His basketball career includes being a four-year starter and being part of the 1,000-point club at Pine-Richland. Despite all the awards, accolades and stats, that's not what Jurkovec wants to be known for. "Being a fierce competitor is the biggest complement that I can get from anyone," he explained. "I'm the biggest competitor. When I get to Notre Dame, it's a great opportunity for me. I just want the team to win. That's what it comes down. "… I really like to get into it. That would be my No. 1 attribute, being a competitor who loves to play to win." Competition has always been a part of Jurkovec's life. His competi- tive fire was instilled because of his family's love of it. That can happen when you're the second oldest of six children. "It's a little competition with every- thing we do," Jurkovec stated. "We like to get after it … I'll take it easy on them for now, but whenever they get older there's no taking it easy on them. "My family just loves competing. … It just doesn't matter what we do, whether it's playing chess against my grandpa or if we're playing cards. We love to compete." Growing up with an older brother, Jurkovec learned early on what it takes to win. It also laid the ground- work for what would become a fierce competitor in everything. "Whenever I was little, just always playing him and his friends, having them beat on me," Jurkovec said with a laugh. "It made me stronger and helped me learn how to play the game. "I think that's where I found out that I really hate to lose. I'd do anything to win. Playing against his friends where they were bigger, faster and stronger — it just made me better." Jurkovec admitted sometimes his emotion on the field got the best of him, but he's learned how to keep it a positive attribute and not negative. "It can be detrimental," Jurkovec said. "It's all about finding that bal- ance because the emotion can give you that energy. I just love to have fun whenever I'm doing it and play- ing with energy." Naturally with his success on the gridiron over the past three years, the spotlight has been on Jurkovec each game and every season. Pressure to perform can take over any athlete and create issues in a number of ways. But Jurkovec loves the challenge of rallying his team for a common goal. "I don't know about pressure, but I know people looked at me to be the leader," he said. "I've been doing it for all of high school because I've been playing and starting. I knew I had to step up and be a leader. Phil Jurkovec Brings A Competitive Fire To Notre Dame Jurkovec became the second quarterback in Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League his- tory to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a single season. PHOTO BY BRANDON BROWN "I don't know about pressure, but I know people looked at me to be the leader. I've been doing it for all of high school because I've been playing and starting. I knew I had to step up and be a leader." JURKOVEC ON RALLYING HIS TEAM FOR A COMMON GOAL