# Taylor Elgersma

Taylor Elgersma (born March 27, 2002) is a Canadian football quarterback for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks. He won the Hec Crighton Trophy in 2024 as U Sports football's most outstanding player.

## Early life

Elgersma was born and raised in London, Ontario and attended Oakridge Secondary School where he played high school football. He also played ice hockey for the London Jr Knights from 2016 to 2019.

## University career

Elgersma first committed to playing U Sports football for the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks in 2020, but did not play that year due to the cancelled 2020 season. In 2021, he served as the backup quarterback where he played in five games and completed 24 of 38 passes for 355 yards and one passing touchdown. The Golden Hawks finished with a 3–3 record in a shortened season where they had a first-round playoff loss to the Guelph Gryphons.
Elgersma became the starting quarterback in 2022 where he played in eight regular season games and two post-season games where he completed 178 out of 270 pass attempts for 2,141 yards with 15 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. The Golden Hawks finished in fourth place in the OUA and hosted a quarter-final playoff game where he won his first playoff start in the game against the Carleton Ravens, completing 21 of 28 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns. In the semi-final against the Western Mustangs, Elgersma struggled as he completed just eight of 17 pass attempts for 52 yards and one interception as the Golden Hawks lost 45–9.
In the 2023 season, Elgersma led the country in passing yards and completions as he recorded 206 completions out of 274 pass attempts for 2,641 yards with 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions in eight regular season games. The Golden Hawks finished in second place in the OUA with a 7–1 record and Elgersma led the team to playoff victories over the Waterloo Warriors and Windsor Lancers to qualify for the program's first Yates Cup game since 2016. In the 2023 Yates Cup, Elgersma completed 27 of 43 pass attempts for 242 yards with one touchdown pass and two picks as Laurier had their season ended by Western for the second consecutive season. At the end-of-season awards night, Elgersma was named a U Sports Second Team All-Canadian at quarterback.
In 2024, Elgersma played in all eight regular season games where he completed 178 of 239 pass attempts (74.5% completion rate) for 2,643 yards with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He led the Golden Hawks to an 8–0 record where the team finished in first place in the OUA for the first time since 2005. In the Yates Cup, Elgersma completed 18 of 30 passes for 306 yards and four touchdown passes as he was named the game's MVP in the championship win over the Western Mustangs. In the following week, in the Uteck Bowl, he set a bowl game record for most passing yards in a game with 452 yards while throwing five touchdown passes in the victory over the Bishop's Gaiters. Elgersma was named the Uteck Bowl's offensive player of the game as the Golden Hawks qualified for their first Vanier Cup game since 2005. In the 59th Vanier Cup game, Elgersma completed 23 of 34 pass attempts for 246 yards and two touchdowns, but the Golden Hawks suffered their first loss of the season to the Laval Rouge et Or by a score of 22–17.
At the end of the season, Elgersma was named the OUA MVP and won the Hec Crighton Trophy as the most outstanding player in U Sports football. He was also named a U Sports First Team All-Canadian.
After completing his fourth year of playing eligibility, with one year remaining, Elgersma qualified to be selected in the 2024 CFL draft. In the winter edition of the CFL Scouting Bureau rankings for players eligible in the that draft, he was ranked as the 20th-best player available and the ninth-best U Sports player available. Elgersma also accepted an invitation to play in the 2025 Senior Bowl, becoming the second U Sports player to ever be invited to play in the game.