Rising Canadian quarterback prospect Taylor Elgersma will use advice from an NFL legend as he enters one of the most important weeks of his football life.
Two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning took time to meet quarterbacks training with QB Country on Thursday, including Elgersma, Dillon Gabriel, Tyler Shough, and Myles Crawley. The conference call was set up by David Morris, Manning’s backup quarterback at Ole Miss, and Ben Neill.
“I asked him about transitioning from university to the pros. Eli talked about the only way to build the trust and respect of the locker room is to work for it, be the first guy in and understand your playbook inside out,” Elgersma told 3DownNation about his first time talking to Manning.
“He talked to all of us about being ourselves and leading authentically as people. That it won’t look the same for everyone but our job is to lead the huddle as yourself.”
Manning, whose nephew, Archie, trains with QB Country like Elgersma, played 16 seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants, earning four Pro Bowl selections. He completed 60.3 percent of his passes for 57,023 yards, 366 touchdowns, and 244 interceptions as a professional.
The New Orleans, La. native ranks 11th all-time in NFL passing yards and 10th in touchdown passes. The six-foot-five, 218-pound passer holds the third-longest consecutive start streak among quarterbacks at 210 games and won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award in 2016.
The University of Mississippi graduate needed no introduction to scouts when he was the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Elgersma hopes to capture more attention after becoming the first Canadian university quarterback in history to be invited to the Senior Bowl, the marquee all-star game in the United States.
The 22-year-old completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 4,011 yards, 34 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions this past season, producing an 11-1 win-loss record as a starter. He carried the football 40 times for 223 yards and six scores while leading the Golden Hawks to a Vanier Cup appearance. That earned him the Hec Crighton Trophy as the top player in U Sports football, Canada’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy.
Through four seasons at Wilfrid Laurier, Elgersma has completed 72 percent of his passes for 10,230 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions in 39 games. He has rushed 122 times for 572 yards, 4.7 per carry, and 18 touchdowns. Over the past two seasons, he has been named the Ontario University Athletics conference’s Most Valuable Player, earning first-team All-Canadian honours in 2024 and a second-team selection in 2023.
The six-foot-five, 213-pound pivot has already attended two all-star events in the lead-up to the 2025 NFL Draft, impressing scouts at the College Gridiron Showcase in Fort Worth, Tex. and the Stardom Scrimmage in Orlando, Fla. He’s garnered interviews with eight NFL teams through the process so far, sitting down with the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts, and Los Angeles Chargers.
Those scouts believe Elgersma has the raw tools and natural arm talent needed to be an NFL quarterback. Conversations with legends like Manning can help maximize his progress toward earning an NFL shot.