U.S. college football programs courting Gatineau, Que. teenager

16-year-old Gatineau boy fielding interest from more than two dozen American colleges to play football. CTV’s Peter Szperling reports.

A 16-year-old football player from Gatineau has caught the attention of many United States colleges.

Sidney Rouleau says he’s received 25 offers from colleges in the states.

“I’m just enjoying the moment. It’s exciting,” he says.

The Grade 10 student currently attends and plays football for a high school in New Jersey.

He’s 6-foot-7, or two metres tall, and weighs 290 pounds (131kg), but his goals are even bigger. He’s focused on making it to the NFL.

“It’s like the overall goal for me because like, high school is just like the beginning. And then college is just like a phase to prepare for, like the big league. And then you get to the big league—it’s like time to shine,” he tells CTV News Ottawa.

His parents are excited and proud. “It’s phenomenal what football brought him into. It’s a big story,” said his father, Jocelyn Rouleau.

“It’s like living a dream. You think you see this only on television,” said Rouleau’s mother, Tanya Tremblay. “We’re so happy for him too, you know. He’s getting a great education—that’s number one for us. He’s loving what he does, too.”

While home for March Break, Rouleau has been training with Ottawa’s Tony Greco.

“This is the guy that’s going to be in the NFL for sure,” Greco tells CTV News Ottawa.

“I think Sid just checks every box: the mindset, the physical, the nutrition, the discipline, the determination. And then, you know, to top it all off, he has the perfect size and the speed just to excel to his game. So, when you cross all those boxes, you could be sure you got a pretty good winner.”

Rouleau and his parents are still looking through the various offers from the U.S. schools.

“And it’s just a beginning. Like he could be offered almost 40, maybe more,” said his father. “I wish for him, he goes on a big program, somewhere else that he can follow his path to go somewhere else after that.”

“I’m trying to be like a leader,” said Rouleau.