Phil Jurkovec was once the top dual-threat quarterback recruit in Pennsylvania, a four-star prospect who signed with Notre Dame. On Friday he was arrested and charged with two felonies for allegedly stealing a box truck.
The Charges
Court records show Jurkovec, 26, was charged with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property, both third-degree felonies in Pennsylvania. The offense date and arrest date are both Friday, Sept. 18.
Bail was set at $25,000. He did not post it, and the docket lists him as confined at the Allegheny County Jail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 30 at 9 a.m. before Judge Matthew J. Brungo.
These are allegations. No hearing has been held and Jurkovec has not been convicted of anything.
What Police Say Happened
According to reporting from KDKA and CBS Pittsburgh, Jurkovec allegedly took a box truck from the valet garage at Allegheny Health Network’s Wexford Hospital. The vehicle’s owner, an employee of a rental company, was loading tables and chairs from an event at the garage when the truck was taken.
The truck was tracked by GPS and stopped, with police identifying Jurkovec as the driver according to court documents.
Debbie Clager of the rental company Rental Time told KDKA Radio she was shocked when they heard the name and looked him up. An attorney representing Jurkovec declined to comment.
The Story Sat for Three Days
The arrest happened Friday. Nothing was published until Monday morning, when KDKA Radio host Colin Dunlap broke it on social media. KDKA Radio, CBS Pittsburgh and CBS Sports followed through the day.
A former ACC starting quarterback sitting in county jail over a weekend without a single local outlet noticing is its own small story about how quickly these guys disappear once the eligibility runs out.
A Career That Never Took Off
Jurkovec starred at Pine-Richland High School in Gibsonia, throwing for 8,202 yards and 71 touchdowns and leading the program to WPIAL and PIAA Class 6A titles in 2017. He was a U.S. Army All-American and the Post-Gazette Player of the Year, rated a four-star recruit and the No. 115 player nationally by 247Sports.
He signed with Notre Dame and appeared in nine games over two seasons, throwing 12 passes. He transferred to Boston College and started 24 games across three years, throwing for 5,184 yards with 35 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He moved to Pitt for 2023, went 57-of-112 for 818 yards in six games, was benched on Oct. 4 and shifted to tight end the following day.
His college totals across 38 games: roughly 6,200 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, 20 interceptions and a 13-16 record as a starter.
After Football
Jurkovec went undrafted in 2024. He attended Pittsburgh Steelers rookie minicamp that May as a tight end and was not signed. There is no record of him playing professional football anywhere.
CBS Pittsburgh reported he worked as a legislative aide for Pennsylvania Rep. Josh Kail, with that employment ending in November 2025.
The Uncomfortable Part
Every recruiting class produces a dozen kids like this: enormous high school profile, four schools’ worth of promise, no professional career, and then nothing. Most of them land somewhere fine.
The ones who do not usually do it quietly. Jurkovec’s preliminary hearing is Sept. 30.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.