His return to the NFL had been hoped for since the summer, but Laurent Duvernay-Tardif refused to have expectations. Now he returns to New York to try to get his hands on a second Super Bowl, but above all to reconnect with his teammates.
“From the moment I started the residency in medicine, it was already clear that I was going to take a few months off during the football season”, explained the one who agreed Thursday with the Jets of New York.
Wearing a long-sleeved jersey displaying his team’s logo next to his heart during a media meeting on Friday afternoon, Duvernay-Tardif admits having worked hard in recent months to live up to the challenge.
It’s been 10 months since he set foot on an NFL field. In a league where there are countless turnovers and turnovers, it was ambitious to believe that he would still be at the same level as when he last played in January.
Now, usually, when LDT wants something, he gets it. “I had already been training for a month and a half with a higher volume of training. I feel good. Of course there will be a period of adaptation, but the Jets told me that they were going to help me find my level. »
The 31-year-old guard nevertheless refuses to put too much pressure on his shoulders. “It’s been 10 months since I played football, I have to give myself the time. »
A relationship of trust
He knows, however, that he arrives at a particular time of the season. The Jets are battling for a playoff spot and the competition is fierce. Obviously, Duvernay-Tardif wants to have a say in the success of his team. “If I want to contribute, my ascent must be done quickly. »
The doctor also returns to an environment he knows well. An organization that fully trusts him. Earlier Friday, Jets head coach Robert Saleh called “phenomenal” the way the Quebecer manages every part of his life.
PHOTO JOHN MINCHILLO, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
New York Jets Head Coach Robert Saleh
As was the case with Andy Reid at the Kansas City Chiefs, LDT seems to have a great relationship with Saleh, which allows him to be himself. “That says it all,” he says. The Jets hardly asked for anything when they called Sasha [Gavami, son agent]. They wanted to know if I wanted to go train with them. The training lasted eight minutes and then we moved on. I think they have confidence in my professionalism and if I say I’m ready to play, it’s because I feel I’m ready. »
Duvernay-Tardif was fully aware that by beginning his residency at the Jewish Hospital in Montreal, he was reducing the number of opportunities that would come his way. He’s been happy the Jets are still interested in his services at this point in the season. “It was a matter of timing. In football, it is often that. There is an opportunity and we must seize it. »
The doctor to the rescue
The addition of the 318-pound player will not be too much for the Jets, which are already without the services of Mekhi Becton, Alijah Vera-Tucker, George Fant and Max Mitchell on the offensive line.
Duvernay-Tardif is happy to be back with the Jets, because he will be able to evolve in a system he knows, led by coaches he respects.
Especially since the Jets surprise with a record of six wins and three losses, second in the East Division of the American, tied with the Buffalo Bills.
However, it was his teammates who he missed more than anything: “I’ve been spending two days with the team in the locker room and it feels good. It’s crazy how I missed it, it’s indescribable. Sometimes I wondered why I wanted to play football. Yes, it’s to win, but it’s above all to be a team. It’s something precious and you can’t find it anywhere else. »
He finds the locker room more mature and more confident than last January. He believes the team has every chance to go a long way in January and February.
As to when he would find the gown and stethoscope, LDT couldn’t have been clearer: “In an ideal world, I would be going back to the hospital in March after winning another Super Bowl. »