Latest news with #Elgersma
Toronto Star
03-06-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Grassick, Elgersma win Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards as U Sports top athletes
THE BLUE MOUNTAINS - University of Saskatchewan basketball player Gage Grassick and Wilfrid Laurier University quarterback Taylor Elgersma have been named the 2024-25 U Sports Athletes of the Year. U Sports announced the winners of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Award at an awards program Monday. Grassick, from Prince Albert, Sask., won the Lois Mitchell award after she led the Huskies to a national title. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW She averaged 20.7 points per game and won MVP honours at the U Sports Final 8 tournament, scoring 35 points in Saskatchewan's 85-66 win over defending champion Carleton in the final. Elgersma, from Waterloo, Ont., led the Doug Mitchell Award after he led U Sports in passing yards (3,554), passing yards per game (323.1), and passing touchdowns (28) this season. He led Laurier to the Vanier Cup final, winning MVP at the Yates Cup and offensive MVP of the Uteck Bowl conference championship along the way. The other female sport finalists were Cape Breton soccer player Alliyah Rowe of Kitchener, Ont.; Laval runner Marie-Frédérique Poulin of La Pocatière, Que.; and Western runner Favour Okpali of Toronto. The other male nominees were St. Francis Xavier basketball player DJ Jackson of Mississauga, Ont.; Laval runner Philippe Morneau-Cartier of Quebec City and Calgary basketball player Nate Petrone. 'We are so proud of the eight nominees this year. They are exceptional student-athletes and citizens,' Lois Mitchell, chair of the Canadian Athletic Foundation Board of Trustees, said in a statement. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Gage and Taylor had outstanding seasons, demonstrating their adaptability to any condition they have faced on the field of competition and in the classroom. They are excellent recipients of the Lois and Doug Mitchell Awards.' Elgersma was drafted 18th overall in the CFL draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and signed with the Green Bay Packers of the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He is attempting to crack the Green Bay Packers' lineup, knowing the history of Canadian pivots trying to secure jobs in the U.S. 'The way I'm going to do it, I'm hoping, is to focus on developing, focus on learning from these coaches, and getting better every single day,' Elgersma said following Monday's awards ceremony. 'I want to put myself in position to have a long career not only here (in Green Bay) or on the other side of the border, or wherever I end up landing. Right now I'm signed in Green Bay and my goal is to make this team and stick around here as long as I possibly can. I'm trying to be very process-oriented right now.' Elgersma said his work ethic and determination have helped him succeed at all levels to be able to open the doors of even bigger opportunities. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'So it's back to working hard and trying to become a better version of myself.' He said he'd like to model his game after L.A. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. 'I love the way he plays with an edge and toughness, and he leads his guys tremendously. He also throws the ball at an extremely high level. Those are all qualities I'd love to have and work toward.' Grassick is hoping to one day pursue a career in the WNBA 'even if it's just on a practice roster' and said playing for Canada at the Olympics would be a 'real dream come true.' She believes that women's sport and women's basketball are making great gains, and removing stigmas along the way. 'You can be a woman and a great athlete, and you can be from Canada and play pro basketball with the best of them. All it takes is heart and hard work. The women's game, thanks to the WNBA and U Sports is getting better all the time, and much more popular. Canada West, in particular, is loaded with talent.' Grassick —also awarded with USask's Mary Ethel Cartwright Trophy as most outstanding female athlete — will spend one more year at the U of S honing her hoop skills and completing her pharmacy courses and then focus on becoming a valuable point guard for a top-calibre team. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025.
Global News
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Green Bay Packers sign Winnipeg Blue Bombers draft pick Taylor Elgersma
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are going to have to wait for the services of one of their top picks in the recent CFL Draft. The NFL's Green Bay Packers signed quarterback Taylor Elgersma to a rookie contract on Monday after he attended their rookie mini-camp. The Bombers just selected Elgersma in the second round of the draft at 18th overall two weeks ago. 'There were a lot of emotions,' Elgersma told 'This was a lot of hard work and a long journey to get to this. When I didn't hear my name called on draft night (NFL), of course, there was disappointment. But my path was a little different. I think it speaks volumes to controlling what you can control.' The 23-year-old is just the fourth quarterback from a Canadian university to sign with an NFL team and the first since the 1980s. Story continues below advertisement Elgersma led the Laurier Golden Hawks to the Vanier Cup game in his fourth season with the school and won the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2024 as the top player in Canadian university football. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I have a ton of pride in being a Canadian athlete,' he said. 'And specifically a Canadian football player who played U SPORTS and got to represent football on the other side of the border on the biggest stage in the world. 'It means so much to me to be the fourth U SPORTS quarterback to sign an NFL contract. You see how many great quarterbacks have come before me. They paved the way. To put pen to paper in the NFL is something super surreal.' In his own words.@LaurierFootball grad Taylor Elgersma reflects on his journey to become just the fourth Canadian university quarterback – and first in 37 years – to sign an @NFL contract and finding a "perfect fit" with the @packers.#SoarAbove · @ElgersmaTaylor — Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) May 12, 2025 Story continues below advertisement The London, Ont., product was the most valuable player of the Ontario conference the past two years and was also selected for the Senior Bowl, which is typically reserved for NCAA players. The Bombers currently have five quarterbacks at training camp in Zach Collaros, Chris Streveler, Terry Wilson, Shea Patterson, and Chase Artopoeus.
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers sign rookie tryout QB, release G Marquis Hayes
Packers sign rookie tryout QB, release G Marquis Hayes The Green Bay Packers announced the signing of rookie quarterback Taylor Elgersma and the release of guard Marquis Hayes on Monday. Elgersma, an undrafted rookie out of Canada, was a minicamp participant as a tryout player following the 2025 draft. His signing with the Packers was reported earlier Monday. Hayes, a 2022 seventh-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals, originally signed with the Packers practice squad in late November of 2024 and returned to the offseason roster on a futures deal in January. At Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Elgersma appeared in 41 games and threw for 10,547 yards and 78 touchdown passes while also rushing for 18 touchdowns. Elgersma was named the Hec Crighton Award as the Most Outstanding Player, the Canadian equivalent to the Heisman Trophy. Elgersma participated at the Senior Bowl and took a pre-draft visit to Green Bay. According to the Packers, Elgersma will wear No. 19 -- meaning he'll share the number with punter Daniel Whelan for the time being. A number switch will be required if Elgersma is kept on the 53-man roster or practice squad in 2025. The Packers drafted two offensive linemen -- Anthony Belton in the second round, and John Williams in the seventh round -- and also signed guards Tyler Cooper and J.J. Lippe in college free agency following the draft, making a veteran like Hayes expendable in the offensive line room.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers film room: Canadian QB Taylor Elgersma flashes talent and upside
The Green Bay Packers have a new quarterback after signing Taylor Elgersma, according to his agent Craig Schaeffer. In 2024, Elgersma threw for 4,200 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 74 percent of his passes for Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. He won the Hec Crighton Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player in Canadian intercollegiate football. Advertisement Elgersma earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, a scouting event Green Bay has been known for putting a lot of stock in during the pre-draft process. The Packers hosted Elgersma on a pre-draft visit and a tryout in rookie minicamp. Evidently, the 23-year-old Canadian prospect made a strong impression. The Buffalo Bills planned on having Elgersma participate in their rookie minicamp over the weekend, but he stayed in Green Bay instead. Elgersma joins a Packers quarterback room with Jordan Love, Malik Willis, and Sean Clifford. Before signing him, head coach Matt LaFleur said there was a lot to like about Elgersma after what he showed in rookie minicamp. To better understand what those likable traits might be, let's look at some of Elgersma's tape from the 2024 season. To start us off, Elgersma has one-on-one coverage on the outside, so he takes a shot. He showcases really good accuracy and ball placement when throwing downfield. I'd say the deep ball is one of his best assets. Again, Elgersma drops this one in perfectly, with the receiver not having to break his stride. Notice how he holds the safety with his eyes—causing him to flip his hips—before making the throw. I'd say Elgersma is an average athlete. He won't make many impressive plays with his legs, but he can occasionally extend plays. Here, he does a nice job navigating the pocket and then delivers an accurate ball while on the move. One thing you notice when watching Elgersma is he's really good at throwing in-breakers. His footwork and timing to get rid of the ball are on point. He also throws with good anticipation and precision. Elgersma displays a solid understanding of coverages and how to attack them. Here, he diagnoses the weak spot and drops in a nice ball for a touchdown. One downside to Elgersma's game is he takes a lot of sacks. He fails to recognize the free rusher, but to his credit, he pops right up after taking a big hit. Elgersma needs to improve at identifying blitzes, but he's competitive and tough—two must-have traits at quarterback. I wouldn't say Elgersma has elite arm talent, but he's got enough strength to zip throws into tight coverage, as you see here. Elgersma also appears to have pretty good lower body mechanics and footwork. Conclusion There will be a steep learning curve for Elgersma. Obviously, his receivers won't get a running head start like they do in Canada, and the level of competition will improve drastically. That said, it's easy to see why the Packers like him. He possesses ideal size at 6-5, 227 pounds, and his arm talent indicates there is some upside to tap into. He can attack all three levels of the defense accurately, and he's got good touch. Advertisement Still, cracking Green Bay's 53-man roster won't be easy. Willis is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, and the Packers are likely to roster only two during the season. That means Elgersma will have to outplay Clifford for the QB3 job and a spot on the practice squad if another team doesn't sign him. If it doesn't work out for Elgersma in the NFL, he has a promising future awaiting him in the Canadian Football League (CFL). This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers film room: Canadian QB Taylor Elgersma flashes talent and upside
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers film room: Canadian QB Taylor Elgersma flashes talent and upside
Packers film room: Canadian QB Taylor Elgersma flashes talent and upside The Green Bay Packers have a new quarterback after signing Taylor Elgersma, according to his agent Craig Schaeffer. In 2024, Elgersma threw for 4,200 yards and 35 touchdowns while completing 74 percent of his passes for Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. He won the Hec Crighton Trophy, which is awarded to the most outstanding player in Canadian intercollegiate football. Elgersma earned an invite to the Senior Bowl, a scouting event Green Bay has been known for putting a lot of stock in during the pre-draft process. The Packers hosted Elgersma on a pre-draft visit and a tryout in rookie minicamp. Evidently, the 23-year-old Canadian prospect made a strong impression. The Buffalo Bills planned on having Elgersma participate in their rookie minicamp over the weekend, but he stayed in Green Bay instead. Elgersma joins a Packers quarterback room with Jordan Love, Malik Willis, and Sean Clifford. Before signing him, head coach Matt LaFleur said there was a lot to like about Elgersma after what he showed in rookie minicamp. To better understand what those likable traits might be, let's look at some of Elgersma's tape from the 2024 season. To start us off, Elgersma has one-on-one coverage on the outside, so he takes a shot. He showcases really good accuracy and ball placement when throwing downfield. I'd say the deep ball is one of his best assets. Again, Elgersma drops this one in perfectly, with the receiver not having to break his stride. Notice how he holds the safety with his eyes—causing him to flip his hips—before making the throw. I'd say Elgersma is an average athlete. He won't make many impressive plays with his legs, but he can occasionally extend plays. Here, he does a nice job navigating the pocket and then delivers an accurate ball while on the move. One thing you notice when watching Elgersma is he's really good at throwing in-breakers. His footwork and timing to get rid of the ball are on point. He also throws with good anticipation and precision. Elgersma displays a solid understanding of coverages and how to attack them. Here, he diagnoses the weak spot and drops in a nice ball for a touchdown. One downside to Elgersma's game is he takes a lot of sacks. He fails to recognize the free rusher, but to his credit, he pops right up after taking a big hit. Elgersma needs to improve at identifying blitzes, but he's competitive and tough—two must-have traits at quarterback. I wouldn't say Elgersma has elite arm talent, but he's got enough strength to zip throws into tight coverage, as you see here. Elgersma also appears to have pretty good lower body mechanics and footwork. Conclusion There will be a steep learning curve for Elgersma. Obviously, his receivers won't get a running head start like they do in Canada, and the level of competition will improve drastically. That said, it's easy to see why the Packers like him. He possesses ideal size at 6-5, 227 pounds, and his arm talent indicates there is some upside to tap into. He can attack all three levels of the defense accurately, and he's got good touch. Still, cracking Green Bay's 53-man roster won't be easy. Willis is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league, and the Packers are likely to roster only two during the season. That means Elgersma will have to outplay Clifford for the QB3 job and a spot on the practice squad if another team doesn't sign him. If it doesn't work out for Elgersma in the NFL, he has a promising future awaiting him in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
