After analyzing his situation from all angles, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif came to the conclusion that he had to put medicine before football from now on. He has therefore decided to begin his residency in medicine this summer.
Posted at 5:33 p.m.
Updated at 6:21 p.m.
“I was accepted into residency medicine. I have my work permit and I will start on 1er July. I had no choice but to apply to medicine this cycle, otherwise it would have been more than four years since I graduated and I would not have been able to reapply to medicine,” explained Duvernay. – Late in an interview with The PressWednesday.
“I applied a few weeks after being traded to the Jets. The desire is still to be able to combine medicine and football. I had an interview in March and was accepted into residence in mid-May. I spoke with the College of Physicians of Quebec and it was determined that I had to start on the 1er July. »
Could Duvernay-Tardif have asked for a privilege in order to postpone the start of his residency and thus continue his career in the NFL? Maybe. But he preferred to follow the rules to the letter.
“It’s a bit of a gray area because nobody does that. [commencer sa résidence plus de quatre ans après avoir obtenu son diplôme], but in theory, your MD is no longer valid. I had eight years to complete my medical studies, and that’s what I did. I was supposed to start my residency four years after graduating, and that’s what I will. »
I didn’t want to take advantage of my notoriety to do things differently, I wanted to do like the others.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
That said, Duvernay-Tardif, who is currently a free agent, will be able to join an NFL team in September.
“I could decide to take a break after two months of residency. But not starting the introductory period for the specialization at the same time as everyone else would have had a negative impact on my course, especially since I haven’t been in the system for four years, excluding my contribution during the pandemic.
“I will prioritize my medicine this summer, then we will consider what will be on the football table this fall. »
contract offers
Traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the New York Jets last fall, Duvernay-Tardif became a free agent in March. The guard and his agent Sasha Ghavami spoke with several teams.
“We have received calls from several teams who have offered us contract offers since March, some of them have even called Sasha every week for months. But there was uncertainty surrounding medicine.
“I didn’t know how the teams would react knowing that I was going to start medicine on the 1er July, but there was still an opening of some of them. So we agreed with them to talk to each other again after training camp. »
PHOTO BRAD PENNER, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVE
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif with the New York Jets
Most NFL teams start camp in the last week of July. The season will start on September 8.
There is of course no guarantee that Duvernay-Tardif will receive an offer in September or October.
I am aware that my chances of being a starting player in the first week of the season would have been greater if I had signed a contract in March or April and if I had trained with the team throughout the off-season. . It may not be the case having made the decision that I have made.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
“But if I still have the love of football in September, for sure I will set foot on a pitch. I will choose a team that gives me the best chance of doing so. Out of 64 starting guards [dans la NFL], name a year when none of them got hurt during camp? I think I give myself more freedom at the end of the day.
“The fact that I was able to assimilate a new playbook by joining a new team in such a short time [10 jours] will be an advantage. And to have played at the level that I played so quickly will be the most important card in my game, I think. »
50% odds
When Duvernay-Tardif was asked to assess the likelihood of seeing him on an NFL field next fall, he hesitated for a few seconds.
“It’s 50-50. I’d say the odds of getting a contract are 90%, but the odds of it fitting in, the medicine going well, and me agreeing to return to the NFL are 50-50.
“I don’t know if that’s what I’d like to do, because we’ll have to see how my two months in hospital go. Will I feel like I’ve fallen too far behind in medicine over the past four years? If I feel like I’m going to hurt my medical practice by going back to playing football, I definitely won’t. But the door is open and the schedule would surely allow it. »
It is in family medicine and emergency that Duvernay-Tardif will begin his residency in the McGill University system. Although he’s previously discussed taking a five-month hiatus so he can join an NFL team in a few months, Duvernay-Tardif is confident he’s making the right call in the short term.
One or two years from my retirement from playing, I cannot make a decision that could jeopardize my medicine for the next 40 years.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
The Quebecer admits having seriously considered announcing his retirement in recent months. But he admits that he would have had great difficulty refusing an interesting offer in September or October if it had presented itself.
“I considered announcing my retirement, but when I talked about medicine with the teams who were interested in my services, they understood. There is no general manager who can say that I am not making the right decision. It is possible that there will be less interest than there is currently [cet automne], but no one can question my choice. This is the decision to make, I studied medicine for 14 years. »
No to the Alouettes
The teams that have an interest in Duvernay-Tardif have assured him that they will not close the door and that they will stay in contact with him. While preparing for his residency, the player continues to train to stay fully prepared.
“Of course you can’t fully prepare to play football without doing it, but I know the routine of my sport and I know my body. I know I’m fit enough to play. If I took a flight to join a team tomorrow morning, I wouldn’t be intimidated at all fitness-wise. »
If he decides to play again, Duvernay-Tardif will do so for a team that aspires to the Super Bowl. “It is no longer a question of money. The most important thing will be to be part of a team that has a chance of winning the Super Bowl. »
What if things didn’t work out in the NFL? Would Duvernay-Tardif agree to play for his hometown team, the Alouettes? He already played Canadian football in university and there is no doubt that his presence with the Alouettes alone would fill the McGill stadium. Interest in the Birds might never have been greater, certainly not since the glory of the 1970s.
“These are great marketing ideas! But no, I don’t think that’s a possibility. I feel like if I put my medicine on the back burner again, it’s going to be to win another Super Bowl.
“I say this in all humility and I don’t want to sound like I’m bigheaded, but I’m betting on myself. I allow myself to look at what is best for me from a more holistic and macro point of view instead of just looking at it from a football point of view. I am happy in my current position. »