J.T. Kurbis
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 Kurbis (Right) at the 2048 Senior Bowl | |
| No. 88 – Yellowknife Wraiths | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Offensive Lineman |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | March 4, 2026 (aged 35) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Weight: | 315 lb (143 kg) |
| Username: | JoshiePoo |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Morristown High School |
| College: | West Chester University |
| Career history | |
| Roster status: | Active |
J.T. Kurbis (born March 4, 2026) is an American football offensive line playing for the Yellowknife Wraiths of the International Simulation Football League (ISFL).
Contents
Early years
J.T Kurbis was born and raised in Morristown, NJ, where he attended Morristown High School. Kurbis was a three sport athlete as a Colonial, participating in Football, Wrestling, and Basketball. Kurbis was a runner-up wrestler in the New Jersey State Championship, and he attributes much of his knowledge in the trenches to skills he learned while wrestling. Kurbis was a former 2 star recruit who was lightly recruited by multiple colleges his senior year, and ended up taking his talents close to home with the West Chester University Golden Rams.
Kurbis' father was a state champion wrestler in Pennsylvania in 1982, and his mother played D1 Soccer with the Portland Pilots. His mother is quoted as saying, "J.T. was a real big kid growing up, like his dad. He was constantly eating, and his favorite food in the whole wide world is Pancakes. I would make them every morning for breakfast before school each day, and he would eat at least 10."
College career
At West Chester University Kurbis was immediately introduced to the starting lineup, and while he was in and out with minor injuries his first two seasons, he was still able to record and impressive amount of games played, more than any other Golden Ram in history at 35 games. Kurbis would show a propensity both for hard work and a knack for picking up the Golden Rams power heavy run scheme quickly.
Kurbis was a relatively unknown prospect, only recently coming into the ISFL spotlight in terms of recruiting. Many scouts were pleasantly surprised by a media video released after Kurbis' pro-day at WCU, where he set school records on both the bench-press and the deadlift. Kurbis would start all 12 games for the Golden Rams his final season, yet it was not without challenge, as he gave up the most pressures on the team that year. Many scouts pointed to his hand-placement and propensity to shoot his hands too early which made Kurbis a feast or famine player at WCU.
College career statistics
| Career statistics | Offensive Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Pancakes | Sacks Allowed |
| 2045 | WCU | 6 | 21 | 8 |
| 2046 | WCU | 5 | 14 | 3 |
| 2047 | WCU | 12 | 32 | 10 |
| 2048 | WCU | 12 | 45 | 15 |
| Ht | Wt | 40‑yd dash | 20‑ss | 3‑cone | Vert jump | Broad | BP | Wonderlic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
315 lb (143 kg) |
5.25 s | 6.02 s | 7.84 s | 29 in (0.74 m) |
DNP | 32 reps | 24 |
Professional career
DSFL career
- Tijuana Luchadores
Kurbis was claimed off of waivers by the Tijuana Luchadores during the 2049 (S34) season. He would only play one regular season game for Tijuana before the 2049 (S34) season ended. He recorded 2 complete pancakes in his time as a backup. During their short postseason run, Kurbis would fill in behind offensive tackles Swantavius Payne and A Kicker. Tijuana would lose the DSFL North Conference Championship in heartbreaking fashion to the Dallas Birddogs in overtime, who would win the Ultimini that year. Kurbis was released ahead of the 2050 (S35) DSFL Draft. He would go on to play for the Chihuahua Chupacabras in the 2050 (S35) Prospect Bowl.
- Kansas City Coyotes
Kurbis was selected at pick 29 in the 4th round of the 2050 DSFL Draft by the Kansas City Coyotes. In his first full season of offensive line play, Kurbis dominated the DSFL in Pancakes, eventually taking the league lead in Week 9. He would continue to hold that lead, and by the end of the 2050 regular season Kurbis would still lead the league in pancakes, at 68. Kansas City would squeeze into the playoffs as the 2nd seed just ahead of the London Royals, where they would face the Portland Pythons in the DSFL North Conference Championship. In a hard fought game, the Coyotes would steal a victory in Portland with a last second touchdown to move on to the XXXV Ultimini Championship. They would face the DSFL South representative Norfolk Seawolves. In a sloppy game from the Coyotes which included 10 penalties for -91 yards, they would fall to the Seawolves 14-23. Kurbis would declare for the 2051 ISFL Draft after the conclusion of the DSFL playoffs.
ISFL career
- Yellowknife Wraiths
Kurbis was selected 9th overall in the first round of the 2051 ISFL Draft by the Yellowknife Wraiths. The Wraiths would call Kurbis up from Kansas City at the start of the 2051 season, and add him to the starting OL rotation. Kurbis exploded onto the scene for Yellowknife, and was at one point leading the league in pancakes as a rookie. He wold go on to play all 16 games for the Wraiths throughout the 2051 season, helping the team in part to a 9-7 record. Yellowknife would sneak into the playoffs on a third place berth in NSFC, where they would face a strong Sarasota team in the first round. Kurbis would have a strong game in his first ISFL post season, recording 9 pancakes and 0 sacks allowed, but Sarasota would just edge out Yellowknife 25-22 to advance to the conference championship game against Chicago. Kurbis and the Wraiths would go home empty handed, but with a promise to return stronger in the seasons to come.
- 2052 Season
In 2052 the Wraiths won 7 of their first 8 games, bouncing out to a strong start in a tough division. Kurbis returned to anchor the offensive line for the Wraiths, where he once again had a very solid season. He recorded 120 pancakes over the year, while only allowing 4 sacks. His pancake total placed him at 4th in the entire league, an accomplishment of which Kurbis was quite proud. The Wraiths ended the season 11-5, moving to the playoffs to face Chicago Butchers in the Quarterfinals. Kurbis recorded 10 pancakes and 0 sacks allowed as the Wraiths cruised to victory 36-26 behind 100+ rushing yards from both RBs Archipelago and Akinfenwa. In the NSFC Championship game, the Wraiths matched up against the division leading Sarasota Sailfish. The Championship Game proved the Wraiths still had some building to do before they could truly compete for a title, as Sarasota outplayed them through every metric. Kurbis only tallied 6 pancakes this game whilst giving up a sack, a mediocre performance in his biggest career game thus far. Still Kurbis and the Wraiths were an exciting team to in the upcoming seasons, with many fans hoping they would live up to their potential.
- 2053 Season
The 38th Season of the ISFL saw Kurbis and the Wraiths back in the hunt for the Ultimus that had evaded them the previous season. Yellowknife started out hot in 2053, winning 7 of their first 9, and confidently leading the NSFC, before a 3 game skid starting in week 13 had them tied for first with an upstart Berlin Fire Salamanders team at seasons end. Berlin had the points and head-to-head tiebreaker on the Wraiths, and would clinch the 1st round playoffs bye instead of Yellowknife. The Wraiths would instead face Baltimore Hawks in the wildcard round of the playoffs. Personally Kurbis had a career year, notching 126 sacks in the regular season, a career high, while once again allowing 4 sacks on the year. But Kurbis was once again left of the all-pro voting by the voters, despite leading all human players in pancakes across the S38 regular season. Yellowknife however, saw Kurbis' production differently, and would sign their young Tackle to a new 4M by 6 year deal, locking him in as their premier tackle option, across from Dusty Wilson on the other side of the line. In the playoffs, Kurbis lined up 15 pancakes without giving up a sack, while the Wraiths narrowly beat the Hawks in the wildcard round. But in the NSFCCG, the Fire Salamanders would edge out the Wraiths, marking another disappointing quarterfinals exit for a team that had Ultimus ambitions at the start of the year.
- 2054 Season
Back in action for the 39th Season of the ISFL, Kurbis and the Wraiths were hungrier than ever to prove themselves after two years of flame outs in the playoffs. In this vein, Yellowknife would opt out of QB Dustin Parmelee's last contract year with the team, and bring in an unproven talent from the Honolulu Hahalua in QB Adrian St. Christmas in exchange for a 2nd round pick in the S40 ISFL Draft. This was the all in push that many analysts had been clamoring for approaching the season, but some experts and fans still held doubts over how the second year player would perform in the big leagues. But the Wraiths put all those doubts to bed as they roared out to an 11-0 start on the season, absolutely dominating the competition across the league. Ending the season with a 13-3 record sitting atop the NSFC, Yellowknife comfortably secured a first round bye and booked their ticket to the NSFCCG. In the regular season, Kurbis matured as a tackle, notching 116 pancakes while allowing a clean sheet of 0 sacks. His best performance of his career up to that point in terms of keeping his QBs clean. Heading into the playoffs, all eyes were on the league leading Wraiths to continue their run of dominance and at least punch their first ticket to the Ultimus. In that regard, the Wraiths did not disappoint. They comfortably rolled through the Chicago Butchers in the conference championship game, with a blistering 48-27 win with great performances from RB Archipelago, WR Brot, and QB St. Christmas. In their first Ultimus appearance since Kurbis had been on the team, the Wraiths found themselves up against the ASFC leading Arizona Outlaws. However the Outlaws would not put up much of a fight, and in a 34-6 thrashing the Yellowknife Wraiths would win the 2054 Ultimus. Kurbis performed a quiet role for the Wraiths across their two playoffs wins, recording 7 pancakes while not allowing a single sack in the postseason. For J.T. however, the 2054 season was a dream come true, as he and the team were able to hoist their first Ultimus trophy since he joined the roster.
- 2055 Season
In the 2055 season, J.T had a down year. His development, which had already been slowing down, stopped completely. He was beginning to look more and more like a let down from the lofty first round pick status that had seen him have such high expectations back in the 2051 draft. Kurbis would end the regular season with only 77 pancakes in 16 games, but only giving up 2 sacks over the course of the year. The Yellowknife Wraiths however, continued cranking out wins to the tune of 12 wins and 4 losses. The team sat atop the NSFC tied for first with the Chicago Butchers, but ended up with the tiebreak on record against and points scored. This had Yellowknife playing in the NSFCCG with a first round bye, where they would face the ever hungry Chicago Butchers. The Wraiths dispatched the Butchers 33-17, to move on to their 2nd Ultimus in two years. They would once again face the Arizona Outlaws, but the team from Phoenix came prepared this year, and the Wraiths would fall in the Ultimus 21-45. A decent year for the team, but a tepid one from Kurbis, would the previously highly touted offensive lineman be able to turn it around for the remainder of his career, only time would tell.
- 2057 Season
The now veteran Kurbis came back to flank the other side of the line opposite his superstar teammate Dusty Wilson. He maintained his lower level of production from 2055, recording 78 pancakes and only allowing 1 sack on the year. The Wraiths struggled as a team, limping into the playoffs with an 8-8 record before being quietly shown the door by the resurgent Baltimore Hawks in the first round. It was looking more and more likely that Kurbis was winding down from the dominant blocker he had been in the early years of his career. Yellowknife's investment in their offensive line had yielded a Ultimus in 2054, which left the fanbase something to look back upon fondly. In a couple of press conferences, Kurbis hinted at retirement in the near future. His Wraiths contract had only a couple more seasons on it, and the team was looking for better options to replace their once dominant, but aging player.
- 2058 Season
The 43rd Season of ISFL play was business as usual for Kurbis and the Yellowknife Wraiths in 2058. Kurbis was aging quickly, as was the team in general. The euphoria of an Ultimus win in 2054 had faded to a distant memory, and the routine of being a mediocre team was becoming the new reality in Yellowknife. The Ultimus tax had to be paid. The Wraiths were not a bad team, they finished 7-9 on the year, but in comparison to the rest of the league, that was only good for 6th out of 7 teams in the NSFC. Kurbis had a decent year in the trenches, recording a respectable 75 pancakes whilst only giving up 1 sack. But the playoffs were a pipe dream for Yellowknife, and with the team looking for an injection of young talent to turn their fortunes around, Kurbis' time in the league appeared to be coming to an end.
- 2059 Season
In the 44th year of ISFL play, Kurbis continued as a starter for the Yellowknife Wraiths, but it was clear to any informed onlooker that his career was winding down. He was perhaps a step slower from the tackle position, giving up a career high 5 sacks on the year to tie his rookie season as his worst performance. The Wraiths had a disappointing season, finishing 8-8 on the year, and only one or two results off of a playoff berth. The team was aging alongside Kurbis, and they were looking for young talent to revitalize the aging core. But for Kurbis, questions about retirement were beginning to be heard, and after 2060, would he have played his last season as a Wraith? After a respectable career, few would blame the big man. The S39 Ultimus ring still shone brightly at fancy occasions. It would be a nice cherry on top of a long career to play a few more seasons.
- 2060 Season
The 2060 season was a tough one for both J.T. Kurbis and Yellowknife Wraiths fans. Kurbis posted his worst year in terms of pancakes throughout his entire career, while the team finished with 4 wins and 12 losses, last in the NSFC. Those whispers about retirement a season prior now came to the forefront as it was clear the big man was playing his final seasons in Yellowknife. As if to dispel those rumors, Kurbis and the Wraiths inked a 1 year extension at the end of the 2060 season, extending Kurbis into 2062 with a lower salary than years past. Kurbis gave a couple of pressers hinting at retirement, while never 100% committing to the idea. As the twilight of his career was approaching quicker than some anticipated, looking back to 2051, did the Wraiths make the correct call in drafting Kurbis 9th overall. The team won an Ultimus with Kurbis near his prime, so perhaps the draft pick could be justified, but to others, a first round pick on a middling offensive line career seemed more like a throw away pick.
DSFL career statistics
| Career statistics | Offensive Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Pancakes | Sacks Allowed |
| 2049 (S34) | Luchadores | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2050 (S35) | Coyotes | 12 | 68 | 3 |
DSFL post season statistics
| Career statistics | Offensive Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Pancakes | Sacks Allowed |
| 2049 (S34) | Luchadores | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2050 (S35) | Coyotes | 2 | 4 | 1 |
ISFL career statistics
| Career statistics | Offensive Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Pancakes | Sacks Allowed |
| 2051 (S36) | Wraiths | 16 | 103 | 5 |
| 2052 (S37) | Wraiths | 16 | 120 | 4 |
| 2053 (S38) | Wraiths | 16 | 126 | 4 |
| 2054 (S39) | Wraiths | 16 | 116 | 0 |
| 2055 (S40) | Wraiths | 16 | 77 | 2 |
| 2056 (S41) | Wraiths | 16 | 59 | 4 |
| 2057 (S42) | Wraiths | 16 | 78 | 1 |
| 2058 (S43) | Wraiths | 16 | 75 | 1 |
| 2059 (S44) | Wraiths | 16 | 84 | 5 |
| 2060 (S45) | Wraiths | 16 | 58 | 3 |
ISFL post season statistics
| Career statistics | Offensive Line | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Pancakes | Sacks Allowed |
| 2051 (S36) | Wraiths | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| 2052 (S37) | Wraiths | 2 | 16 | 1 |
| 2053 (S38) | Wraiths | 2 | 15 | 0 |
| 2054 (S39) | Wraiths | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 2055 (S40) | Wraiths | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| 2056 (S41) | Wraiths | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2057 (S42) | Wraiths | 1 | 4 | 0 |
