Two years ago Ezzat Elnagmi crossed the pond from South West England to Windsor, Ontario for a chance to live out his dream of playing professional football in North America. He'll get that chance after signing with the defending Grey Cup champion Montreal Alouettes of the CFL.
"It's a fairytail dream come true," Elnagmi said. " I always believed coming into this sport. I was told when I came into this sport that I didn't have to be great start. I just had to start to be great."
St. Clair College Saints head football coach Mike Lachance says he's proud of how far the offensive lineman has come since arriving in Canada. "He is a shining example of what kids can do when they accept each challenge as an opportunity to become better." Lachance told Powerplay Sports. "He had a great opportunity at St. Clair College and took advantage of it both athletically and academically."
Last month Elnagmi graduated from the Strategic Project Management program as a two-time OFC champion at St. Clair College. A native of Bristol, Elnagmi was very involved on campus and was seen cheering for other varsity team on campus.
He also accumulated a solid list of accolades last season being named an OFC All-Star and OFC Offensive Lineman of the Year. Elnagmi was also a CJFL All-Canadian and the first ever recipient of the Dr. Patti France Award for Leadership in Athletics.
"Unlimited amount of support," is how Elnagmi described what he received from everyone he connected with on campus. "Kept me humble and driven at the same time."
Elnagmi, who played one year of football before coming to Canada, has been in Montreal since Wednesday and is on the practice roster, for now. "I'm still young and developing. They've given me my next platform to be that level of greatness."
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