Quarterback Christian Veilleux has become the first Canadian ever selected as one of the Elite 11 finalists.
Founded in 1999, the Elite 11 is the premier quarterback event in the United States, bringing together the best signal callers to compete and improve their skillset both on and off the field.
The Ottawa native was part of the 20 passers chosen for the 2020 event. Current NFL stars, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Matthew Stafford performed at the Elite 11 finals in the past.
“I am extremely fortunate and thankful for this opportunity! To all the coaches and mentors who have developed me into the QB, player, man that I am today, thank you! The Elite 11 has always been a dream of mine, and I can’t wait to be the first QB to rep Canada in the Elite 11 Finals,” Veilleux wrote on Twitter.
In April, Veilleux committed to Penn State University after a lengthy list of NCAA Division I scholarship offers from Power Five conference programs, which included Louisiana State University and Clemson University.
The six-foot-four, 200-pound signal caller played his junior season at Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland. Veilleux threw for 2,006 yards with 29 touchdowns against eight interceptions last season.
15 current NFL pivots have participated in the Elite 11 in some way and there have been a handful of recent first-round NFL draft picks: Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa, Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray, Washington Redskins’ Dwayne Haskins, Houston Texans’ Deshaun Watson, Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff and New Orleans Saints’ Jameis Winston.
Elite 11 event alumni include 25 of the 32 current NFL starting quarterbacks, and 12 of the past 13 quarterbacks who have earned the Heisman Trophy.
The Elite 11 finals are currently scheduled for June 29 to July 1 in Nashville, Tennessee.
