Kansas City Chiefs’ offensive linesman, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif became the first NFL player to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season. The 2019 Super Bowl winner announced that he would not be returning to Missouri for the NFL training camp which started this week.
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Duvernay-Tardif is the fourth medical school graduate to play in the NFL. The Canada-born athlete has been with the Kansas City Chiefs since 2014. In this article, we look at Laurent’s journey to the NFL and the reason behind his decision to skip the 2020 season.
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Laurent Duvernay-Tardif posts heartwarming message on Twitter
My decision regarding the 2020 NFL season pic.twitter.com/jrY3nZfNWO
— Laurent D. Tardif (@LaurentDTardif) July 25, 2020
Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff was drafted by the Chiefs in 2014 in the sixth round (200th pick). He is the only current player in the NFL with a medical degree. The 29-year old Quebec-born athlete posted the above message on his Twitter handle explaining the reasoning behind his decision to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season.
Over the last couple of months, Laurent has been using his degree to help out as an orderly at a long-term care facility in Montreal. He revealed that it was his desire to continue to do so despite the NFL training camps starting this month.
Yes, it’s me in this picture but this isn’t about me. This is about all the people who have been on the frontlines since day one of this pandemic. We all must come together, even if that means stepping out of our comfort zone. Let’s keep working as a team, we’ll get through this. pic.twitter.com/U5hU8WqgRc
— Laurent D. Tardif (@LaurentDTardif) April 29, 2020
Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff completed his graduation from McGill University Faculty of Medicine in May 2018. He has a degree as Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery (M.D., Ch.M.).
Laurent, who was drafted in 2014, used the time during the offseason to prepare for his medical exams. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, whose mother also graduated from McGill University, supported Laurent’s educational ambitions. The two-time CIS ALL-Canadian became Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2019.
As per the NFL and NFLPA’s agreement on Friday, all players who opt-out of the 2020 season will receive a $150,000 salary advance and their contract will toll. It will be interesting to see if any other NFL players also choose to follow the same path as Laurent’s in the coming days.
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Source: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Twitter, NFL
