What began as an ordinary Friday quickly turned into a bizarre getaway for former Notre Dame and Pittsburgh quarterback Phil Jurkovec. Police allege Jurkovec took a vehicle from AHN’s Wexford Hospital and drove several miles before GPS tracking helped officers locate him and bring the former QB into custody.
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According to court documents, as reported by CBS News, 26-year-old Jurkovec allegedly took a box truck from the valet garage at the hospital on Route 19. Officers said a rental company employee contacted them to report the theft. The employee told police that he had been loading tables and chairs from an event into the truck when someone drove away with it.
“The victim, William Bickford, an employee of Rental Time Rentals, met (officer Donald Manz of the Highmark Police Department) and advised him that while attempting to load tables and chairs from a function on 9/17/26, Mr. Bickford saw a young white male in the truck mirror,” the complaint said. “Mr. Bickford then stated that the same male then climbed into the cab of the vehicle and proceeded out of the exit of the valet garage onto Wallace Road extension.”
Authorities were able to locate the vehicle through its GPS tracking system. Cranberry Township police subsequently pulled the truck over and identified Jurkovec as the driver. Police then took Jurkovec into custody and charged him with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
With two felony charges against him, Jurkovec’s bail was set at $25,000. However, since he was unable to post bail, he is now being held at the Allegheny County Jail, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for the end of the month.
Jurkovec’s football journey began at Pine-Richland, where he established himself as one of Pennsylvania’s top quarterback prospects. During his high school career, he amassed more than 8,200 passing yards and 71 touchdowns, guiding the Rams to Class 6A WPIAL and PIAA titles in 2017.
He soon became a star on the Pennsylvania football scene, with many referring to him as “Mr. PA Football” after he won the Big School Mr. PA Football Award in 2018, representing Classes 4A–6A, while also being named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
His performances earned him a spot in the prestigious U.S. Army All-American Bowl before his collegiate career took him to Notre Dame, Boston College, and, ultimately, Pittsburgh in 2023.
Phil Jurkovec’s college career
Jurkovec’s college football career took several hits as injuries, including a fractured hand, derailed his momentum. By the time he transferred to Pitt in 2023, his performance had already declined significantly.
However, it started with Notre Dame in 2018. Jurkovec redshirted his true freshman year and appeared only in two games behind starter Ian Book. The appearances increased to six in 2019, but the number of snaps still remained low. The QB completed 12 of his 16 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns.
Jurkovec knew he wouldn’t get game time at South Bend, so he transferred to Boston College. The first year was great. The QB threw for 2,558 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions in 10 starts. However, the next year, a severe hand injury forced him out of the action. The same injury bug continued in 2022, and he couldn’t return to his best. As a result, he chose to transfer to his hometown team for his final year of eligibility.
With the Panthers, Jurkovec completed 57 of his 112 passes for 818 yards, six touchdowns, and three interceptions. He was particularly bad in rivalry games against Cincinnati and West Virginia. Ultimately, head coach Pat Narduzzi chose to bench him after a loss to Virginia Tech.
After his college football career ended, Jurkovec worked as a legislative aide to Pennsylvania Representative Josh Kail.
Beloved by fans and known for an entertaining style of play, Jurkovec’s name still carried weight locally. So when rental owner Debbie Clager heard his name after the arrest and looked him up, she said she was shocked.
Rental owner Debbie Clager said, “I was shocked when we heard the name and looked him up.” Clager further emphasized that they had no idea why he allegedly stole the truck, especially considering his impressive background. After being notified about the incident, she helped police track down the truck using its GPS.
For now, he has a preliminary hearing on Sept. 30 at 9:00 a.m., with Matthew J. Brungo, the judge assigned to Magisterial District Court 05-2-12.