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He met virtually with head coach Mike O\u2019Shea, GM Kyle Walters and offensive coordinator Tommy Condell Thursday night after the deal became official and said he plans to throw with some former Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks teammates in Waterloo before heading to Winnipeg for the opening of rookie camp on May 6th.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just told them, \u2018I\u2019m ready to start studying, I\u2019m ready to start rolling and I\u2019m ready to start learning,’\u201d he said in a 30-minute Zoom call with local and national media from that McD\u2019s in Arkansas on Friday. \u201cThat\u2019s what, ultimately, my whole goal is coming into this thing. It\u2019s about going day by day and becoming a better pro and a better player every single day.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m in an organization that has a winning culture and that\u2019s all you\u2019re looking for as a young quarterback \u2014 how can I be around these guys, learn from these people and better myself? And, ultimately, how can I help this organization win a Grey Cup. They know that\u2019s where my mindset is at and that\u2019s what we\u2019re all focussed on.\u201d<\/p>\n
The entire media conference is here:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
And here are 5 Takeaways from the session:<\/p>\n
THE BLUE BOMBERS ARE NOT \u2014 REPEAT NOT \u2014 HIS PLAN B OR C<\/p>\n
Elgersma was selected by the Blue Bombers in the second round, 18th overall, in last year\u2019s CFL Canadian Draft but was then signed as an undrafted free agent by the Green Bay Packers. He spent the summer with the Pack and appeared in three preseason games before being released.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s here is where some fans were impatient with the big QB as he continued to explore NFL opportunities with the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins before joining the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL this spring rather than head north immediately<\/p>\n
Elgersma stressed over and over again on Friday that he wanted to give the chase of his NFL dream a year. And so, here we are, with him saying all the right things about now joining the Blue Bombers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been going through a lot. My journey\u2019s been pretty cool,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s been special to kind of go through this, this process of Green Bay through (NFL) combine through training camp over there in the UFL.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me I think it was time for me to come home. It was time to start this journey here and start this process of developing and learning and being here in this organization. So, it\u2019s something for me that I\u2019m super excited about, super fired up about and ready to get rolling.<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2026 I got drafted by this team last year and I was super ecstatic about getting drafted in the CFL. So, I just think heading into camp now, we\u2019re two weeks out from camp, it was time to let them know that I wanted to be here, that it was time to come home. And to get myself prepared for training camp is something that I care about. I didn\u2019t want to show up on the last day before camp and not be ready to roll. I wanted to give myself time to get adjusted back and learn the system and get to meet some people and get into the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, those were some factors for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
THE BIRMINGHAM WORK VISA MESS<\/p>\n
Elgersma was drafted by the Stallions this winter and had been practising them. But, with the team\/league not able to secure a work visa for him \u2014 Stallions coach AJ McCarron even reached out to Senator Tommy Tuberville for help \u2014 he wasn\u2019t able to get into any of the first three games of the UFL season.<\/p>\n
With that window closed \u2014 remember, he was still trying to get 11-on-11 film to possibly earn another NFL look \u2014 Winnipeg instantly became his best option.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe process of the work visa was definitely long,\u201d said Elgersma. \u201cThere was a lot of hiccups, you could say, in the process. Obviously, this league had done this before and there was hope that with the connections AJ had that it was going to be able to get done.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, I don\u2019t know about all that behind-the-scenes stuff. I just know that my experience with AJ was very positive. He was someone I learned a lot from in the room. He supported me on and off the field throughout this process. He made it clear to me that he was in my corner and was trying his best to make my situation right. I think it\u2019s ultimately a situation with the UFL more than anything, that whatever they had going on wasn\u2019t done correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n
AND NOW \u2014 WELCOME TO THE BLUE BOMBERS QB ROOM<\/p>\n
There\u2019s been a lot of chatter since Elgersma was drafted last year that he could be the heir apparent to Zach Collaros, who is now 37 and entering the final year of his current contract.<\/p>\n
Just to be clear, that heir-apparent narrative has not come from anyone within the Blue Bombers organization. Now he\u2019s just another QB who will be trying to turn heads in training camp along with returnee Terry Wilson and newcomers Bryce Perkins and Payton Thorne.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s Elgersma when the \u2018heir apparent\u2019 idea was brought up on Friday:<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst of all, when I talk about Zach, there\u2019s so much to learn from Zach. Any time you\u2019re in a building with someone of his calibre it\u2019s important that you soak up every single thing that you can from him \u2014 all the information, all the tips that I can gain from him, I want to learn them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would also say there are a lot of other guys in this room and in this building that I have a lot of respect for. We already talked about Bryce (Perkins, as a former UFL MVP), Payton Thorne is here as well, Terry Wilson\u2026 there\u2019s other vets there in this room and for me my job is to come here and help the Winnipeg Blue Bombers win a Grey Cup. That\u2019s all I\u2019m focussed on, is coming to be the best version of myself in the building every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n
ROURKE, FORD\u2026 ELGERSMA?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a fascination with Elgersma for a few reasons, not the least of which are his credentials as a Hec Crighton Trophy winner in 2024 while at Wilfrid Laurier as the top player in college football in this country.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s 6-5 and has a rocket for a throwing arm, too.<\/p>\n
On top of all that is he\u2019s Canadian and for decades this league had been craving for the next Russ Jackson to come along before Nathan Rourke did for the B.C. Lions as last year\u2019s CFL Most Outstanding Player as well as Tre Ford, who had his moments as a starter in Edmonton before landing in Hamilton this offseason.<\/p>\n
That means Elgersma will be under the spotlight from the moment he steps onto the field for rookie camp in a couple weeks. Asked about what it would mean to be the next Canadian QB to start in this league, Elgersma was quick to pump the brakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo answer what it would mean to be a starting Canadian quarterback? It would mean everything,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing able to be a guy who not only goes pro out of U Sports but is able to potentially have a starting role in the CFL one day, would be a dream come true. And you look at guys like Nate, even though he\u2019s played Division 1, having a Canadian at the helm, it brings a lot of excitement to a fan base; it brings a lot of excitement to the league and I think it\u2019s a good thing for this league to have guys like that, and it\u2019s good thing for Canadians to have guys to look up to.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, that\u2019s one thing that\u2019s super exciting. I hope one day there\u2019s young kids out there who choose to play football because there\u2019s Canadians at the quarterback position that are leading the way. There\u2019s been great guys that are doing it right now and I hope to follow in their footsteps.\u201d<\/p>\n
COMPARE AND CONTRAST \u2014 ELGERSMA = IVAN DRAGO<\/p>\n
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