After wrapping up his studies at McGill medical school for the semester, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is about to return to his full-time job – on the offensive line for the Kansas City Chiefs.
“When I got drafted, I promised myself I would finish (med school) and I'm almost there. I just finished my last clinical shift in hospital last Friday,” said Duvernay-Tardif.
It’s a major commitment for a man who seems to have the world at his feet: In February, he signed a five-year, $41 million NFL contract.
Next week Duvernay-Tardif is flying back to Kansas City to start another season.
NFL camp may be gruelling, but the med student’s days now consist of a 5:45 a.m. wake-up call to prep for surgery, then a 10-hour day at the hospital. Then it's time to work out.
That's, of course, all in between promoting his foundation to get kids interested in sports.
Duvernay-Tardif, raised in Montreal by parents who own a bakery, is now heading into his fourth NFL season.
“It's been an amazing experience playing pro football and I think it's going to make me a better physician because it helps you take emotion out of it and stay calm, even when you have an adrenalin rush that gives you chills,” he said.
At 26 years old, he's one of a limited number of Canadians to crack an NFL roster, never mind as a starter.
Patients at the MUHC are starting to recognize the 6'5" lineman, who admits he's had to sign some autographs while on duty.
“People tend to know me a little bit more, but it's a good challenge because I need to remember that I'm there because I'm a medical student,” he said.
Duvernay-Tardif is on track to take his final medical exams next May – and he hopes to graduate with a Super Bowl ring on his finger. No matter what, though, he said becoming a doctor is his long-term priority.
Brains and athletics run in the Duvernay-Tardif family: the NFL player’s younger sister Delphine is on the national cross-country skiing team and she's also starting McGill medical school in the fall.
