B.C. Lions’ QB Nathan Rourke credits Stamps’ Vernon Adams Jr. for lessons in leadership
Photo courtesy: Paul Yates/B.C. Lions
While their tenure together in B.C. may have been awkward and, at times, even divisive for the locker room, Nathan Rourke believes he learned valuable lessons playing alongside Vernon Adams Jr.
“I think he had a unique leadership style,” the Canadian QB told 3DownNation this week. “I guess unique might not be the right word, but he was very outspoken, and that kind of encouraged me to get out of my shell when it was my turn, especially this year, and just relate to the guys. I thought he always was just great for the locker room.”
Last season’s quarterback controversy will be endlessly rehashed ahead of the Lions’ matchup with the Calgary Stampeders on Friday. It marks their first clash with Adams since he was unceremoniously traded away in November, formally passing the franchise quarterback torch back to Rourke.
However, VA’s fingerprints remain evident on the team he left behind, nowhere more so than on Rourke himself. This offseason, the 27-year-old flew in his receivers for a player-led mini-camp, something he first watched Adams do with success in Montreal before continuing it in B.C. Bonding with his teammates off the field has become a priority, and the star QB has emphasized being less guarded while prioritizing fun.
In 2024, veteran receiver Keon Hatcher publicly confirmed what everyone was already speculating, stating that players felt it was Adams’ team after he took back the starting job at the end of the season. This year, there has been no dispute about who the locker room looks to for leadership.
“That comes from just spending time with the guys. Nate was in the league (NFL) for a while, you know what I’m saying?” Hatcher explained. “Him coming back, just being around more, spending time with the guys, letting the team get to know him as a person and as a player; I think that has a big impact on it. Let everybody get a feel for him, because not everybody knew Nathan. The team was different.”
Adams and Rourke first teamed up in 2022, when the Lions acquired the former via trade after the latter went down with a Lisfranc sprain. At that time, the dynamic was clear to all involved, with VA playing the role of veteran stopgap until the homegrown phenom could return for the playoffs. However, when Rourke departed for the NFL, the keys to the franchise were handed to the Pasadena, Calif. native, and his play over the next season and a half elevated him into the upper echelon of CFL quarterbacks.
When Rourke made the decision to return to the CFL mid-way through the 2024 season, it seemed to come at a perfect moment for the roles to reverse. Adams was the M.O.P. frontrunner through the first half of the year, but was expected to miss several weeks with a knee injury and needed someone to steady the ship. But even as Rourke struggled to make the adjustment back from the NFL and Adams got healthy, the Lions opted not to give their opening-day leader back the starting job until the final game of the year in a last-ditch effort to salvage a spiralling campaign.
The energy around the team and their drooping effort level as Rourke’s run progressed told the story of a group unhappy with their coach’s thought process, which ultimately led to the firing of Rick Campbell. However, the two passers thrust into the middle of the situation never offered anything but support for one another.
“I just really admired the way (Adams) handled the whole situation, because he was on maybe the wrong end of what happened last year. He just was just an incredible teammate, although I’m sure he was probably really upset about the situation and maybe even cursing at me under his breath,” Rourke said. “He was just the best guy to be around. Never let it affect him, his attitude, how he brought it to the field every single day, and I just really admired him for that.”
While Adams took the high road this week, he did let his emotions show prior to his departure, admitting that the situation “totally crushed” him. Rourke understands those sentiments and doesn’t hold last year’s awkward ending against any member of the team, admitting that he provided a “weird wrinkle” by parachuting in.
The pair ended things on good terms and remain in contact, texting occasionally throughout the season. Despite it all, there is no bad blood between them.
“Super happy for him. Super happy that he’s found a home there in Calgary,” Rourke said.
“Obviously, you get busy during the year, but I’m still a huge fan of him watching on film. I’m a fan of all the guys. I don’t want to have to go into a game, and I’ve got some kind of personal vendetta against — it’s not about me, right? I try to be cordial with everybody.”
Hatcher still speaks to Adams almost weekly, checking in about his life and family. That communication has dried up this week, leaving no doubt about where the Lions’ loyalties lie.
“VA will always be a brother to me. I love him, that’s my guy,” he said. “But Friday, we gotta go get this win.”
The B.C. Lions (6-7) will visit the Calgary Stampeders (8-4) at McMahon Stadium on Friday, September 19 with kickoff slated for 9:30 p.m. EDT.
