Former Pittsburgh quarterback Phil Jurkovec was arrested in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, last week after authorities say he stole a vehicle from Allegheny Health Network’s Wexford Hospital.
According to court documents obtained by CBS News, the arrest happened on Sept. 18, when Jurkovec allegedly took a box truck from the hospital’s valet garage. Police were told by a rental company employee that the truck disappeared while he was loading items from an event.
Jurkovec was later tracked down by police using GPS and charged with two felonies: theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. He reportedly did not post bail, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled later this month.
Jurkovec’s football path has bounced around ever since he transferred from Boston College to Pitt in December 2022. He stepped in for the Panthers after Kedon Slovis and appeared in six games during the 2023 season, finishing 57 of 112 passes for 818 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions.
His role changed as the season went on. Jurkovec lost the starting job midway through the year and even attempted a move to tight end. He went undrafted in the 2024 cycle, then took part in minicamp with the Pittsburgh Steelers before leaving unsigned.
Before his stops at Boston College and Pitt, Jurkovec was one of the more highly regarded quarterbacks in the country. He originally signed with Notre Dame in the 2018 class after drawing interest as an early Ohio State target.
At 6-feet-5 and 215 pounds, he entered college as a four-star prospect, ranked as the nation’s third-best dual-threat passer and a U.S. Army All-American.
Jurkovec played in nine games at Notre Dame before moving on to Boston College, where he spent three seasons. His strongest college season came in 2020, when he threw for 2,558 yards and 17 touchdowns as a sophomore under first-year coach Jeff Hafley, who's now leading the Miami Dolphins.
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