The Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl-winning team from 2019-20 will forever be known for its unique characters during the memorable run. One of those characters was Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, who earned his medical degree while playing in the NFL.
The first championship in 50 years, followed by a global pandemic, saw many players around the league opt out of the 2020 season, including Duvernay-Tardif. He spent the year helping in the fight against the COVID-19 and earning accolades around the sports world for his efforts.
After returning to football last year, spending the first half of the year in Kansas City before later being traded to the New York Jets, Duvernay-Tardif has decided to put his football career on hold again. The Canadian native is set to begin his medical residency in July 2022 back home at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. The former 2015 draft pick announced via his Facebook page his intentions to return to the medical field.
“I am proud to announce that I am starting my medical residency at McGill University in July 2022. Four years have passed since I graduated with a medical degree, and it is now time to start the last stage of my training. I have been working on my residency applications since November 2021, and it is very rewarding to see these efforts rewarded.”
The French-to-English-translated post from Duvernay-Tardif opened up about turning down NFL offers during free agency. He didn’t rule out a future return to the game when he’s ready.
“It was not easy to refuse the contract offers of NFL teams in recent months, and I do not close the door to a return to the NFL. However, it was important for me to start my residency this summer with my cohort so as not to fall behind in my medical training. I will then be able to reassess my football options from September.”
Duvernay-Tardif won the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian of the Year Award for his service as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic. As he begins his residency, Duvernay-Tardif left the door open for a return to football, but for now his focus lies on his medical career.
