Elgersma a step closer to chasing down his dream

Things just got a lot more real for Taylor Elgersma.

The talented Canadian quarterback out of Wilfrid Laurier, fresh off a strong campaign with the Golden Hawks, took his first step towards fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a professional football player. The 23-year-old native of London, Ont., was selected by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the second round, 18th overall, in Tuesday’s CFL draft.

Elgersma was the first quarterback selected, going 18th overall. Kurtis Rourke was plucked by the Saskatchewan Roughriders seven picks later in the third round.

Despite playing well in the NCAA Senior Bowl, Elgersma went unselected during last week’s NFL draft. Despite this, he has still garnered interest south of the border, with mini-camps scheduled with Green Bay this week and Buffalo next.

The expectation is that Elgersma will be headed to Bombers training camp next month. Regardless of what unfolds, he is excited to launch his professional football career and eager to play the game at the highest level, wherever that may lead.

“My dream has always been to be a professional quarterback. That’s never been tied to a specific league,” Elgersma said Wednesday. “I’m super fired up about the opportunity in Winnipeg. I’m confident in myself and I’m confident that I’m going to go down to these mini-camps and show the best that I can.”

He added: “I’m hopeful that will lead to a contract but I’m definitely excited to get to Winnipeg and get to work if those don’t work out.”

Scouts have described the six-foot-four, 235-pound Elgersma as a passionate player who plays with anger. His skillset, which includes a strong and accurate arm, has led many to believe he could become a CFL starter.

In his senior season with the Golden Hawks, Elgersma passed for 4,252 yards and recorded 35 touchdowns, compared to 11 interceptions. He was named the winner of the Hec Creighton Trophy, awarded to the top U Sports football player.

Few quarterbacks have transitioned from Canadian college to CFL starter, making Elgersma a potential exception to the rule.

He has watched Tre Ford achieve a similar feat in Edmonton. Ford officially became the Elks’ No. 1 quarterback this season — three years after being drafted the eighth overall pick in 2022.

“For me, the most important thing — and this is what I said to teams in interviews, too — is my first year is all about building trust with my offensive co-ordinator, building trust in my head coach and developing within a system,” he said.

“Coming to the pros, your goal is always to become the best version of yourself and the best player you can and that is, ultimately, to become a starter one day.”

Elgersma added he wouldn’t put a timeline on his progress. He understands he has a lot of work in front of him and while he feels well prepared for the CFL thanks to his coaches at Wilfrid Laurier, playing against other professionals will be a steep learning curve.

Elgersma seemed excited at the prospect of working under Bombers starting QB Zach Collaros. Collaros is a three-time Grey Cup winner, including two in Winnipeg, where he was also named the league’s Most Outstanding Player in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022.

Collaros will be 37 in August and has just one more season left on his contract. Despite coming off a down year with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, he is planning a return to form.

It’s unclear how long Collaros expects to play, but Elgersma could be a potential succession plan.

“Zach is an unbelievable guy and a great leader,” said Elgersma, adding he had the chance to throw with Collaros in Ontario this off-season. “You can see that with the success the Blue Bombers have had under centre. He’s always trying to help guys out.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca