Vert & Or commits ready to give back

Vert & Or add a local commit and an international commit to their 2019 class.

Charles Giroux, a receiver from Champlain College Lennoxville, and Thibault Van-Elsue, a defensive back from Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon will be part of the next wave of players to don the green and gold after signing with the University of Sherbrooke Vert & Or.

Charles Giroux

Charles Giroux will be staying home, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I chose to commit to the University of Sherbrooke primarily because I wanted to represent my hometown. I want to play in front of my family and friends and try to bring my city team to a new level,” he said.

“During my childhood, I used to see the Vert & Or play and I used to look up to the players,” he added. “Well, now it is my turn and I want to give back to the community. This was my preliminary motivation, but then I visited the school and met the coaches.”

From what he has observed, Giroux says the coaches are great. “They are so invested in their team and would do anything to take care of their players,” he said. “I spent most of my time with Head Coach Mathieu Lecompte and I really felt that even though this is university football, his players are important to him whether you are dressed or not.”

Giroux will be entering into a Sherbrooke dressing room that has a young offensive coordinator. That doesn’t bother Giroux, however. He said that he likes that since he will be there for five years. He added that, “In five years, people learn a lot. We will grow as a team, coaches and players.”

Interested in occupational therapy, academics was another reason why he chose Sherbrooke. He said the school offers exceptional health programs and “academically, it was a very good decision to stay in Sherbrooke.”

After the coaches described the team’s ideology and values, Giroux realized it appealed to his own values. “I felt like I was at the right place, a good school and a perfect football program for me,” he said. “I believed that the Vert & Or would be the best place for me to progress as an individual and as a football player.”

Beyond football, Giroux took a moment to contemplate his own impact on his community. “In the end we are all members of society and I believe building a good academic background (and) moral background is crucial,” he said, “therefore, I took the challenge of going to Sherbrooke. It felt like home.”

Standing at 5’10, 183lbs, the Champlain College Cougar (RSEQ Division 1) won a Bol d’Or in 2017. He has also played for Les Bulldogs de Sherbrooke in his ten-year career.

Bienvenue au receveur Charles Giroux dans la grande famille du @VertetOr pour la saison 2019. Un autre excellent étudiant-athlète qui opte pour @USherbrooke afin de poursuivre son parcours scolaire et sportif. #recrutement2019 pic.twitter.com/ILgUedxyCu

— Louis Leclerc (@Louis_lecl) September 12, 2018

Thibault Van-Elsue

Currently located in Lévis, Québec, Thibault Van-Elsue is originally from France. He has been living and playing in Canada with Les Faucons du Cégep de Lévis-Lauzon (RSEQ Division 1). He has decided to prolong his stay in Canada by signing with the Vert & Or.

Van-Elsue, who is interested in administration, said he chose Sherbrooke “for the coaching staff, the team spirit and the feeling I had during my visit.”

This summer, while back in France, the 6’0, 205lbs athlete was named as an “all player” in Europe during the Europe U19 Cup.

Bienvenue dans la famille du @VertetOr au demi-défensif Thibault Van-Elsue pour la saison 2019! Très heureux de pouvoir compter sur ce joueur d’élite. #recrutement2019 pic.twitter.com/2V5KGcccnX

— Louis Leclerc (@Louis_lecl) September 5, 2018