Why Laurent Duvernay-Tardif will be considered one of Canada’s greatest NFL players

He might not have been able to prevent the Kansas City Chiefs going down 37-31 to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game in 2019 but Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has proven once again to be a crucial player in head coach Andy Reid’s team.

Rewarded last year with a contract extension worth $41.25 million that commits him to football until the 2022 season, Duvernay-Tardif’s importance to the Chiefs was highlighted by being immediately activated following recovery from a near season-ending injury in the hope of making an impact in the AFC Championship game against the Patriots. It wasn’t to be for the Quebec-born footballer but his presence has been significant in Kansas.

The fifth-year NFL right guard was an integral part of the Chiefs early season unbeaten run. It was no coincidence that the team suffered its first loss of 2018-2019 following Duvernay-Tardif’s absence. His broken leg caused him to miss the rest of the regular season.

How Duvernay-Tardif’s presence on the pitch might have impacted the game against the Patriots is something we’ll never know. After all, Andrew Wylie has covered for him this season and was named the team’s rookie of the year. In the end, the Patriots, who were 1.71 favourites on MoPlay to win the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams, had too much for the Chiefs again this season.

But no one is doubting the right guard’s influence on the team. Named one of the top 10 NFL players born outside the USA by The Score, the man who grew up in Montreal was also named by Sporting News as one of the 17 Canadian NFL players to watch last season following consistent seasons.

Just the second ever player to be drafted from McGill University – after Randy Chevrier was picked in the seventh round in 2001 – Duvernay-Tardif’s strengths obviously lie in his six-foot five-inches of height and weight of around 320 pounds. Described as being in the “upper tier of offensive guards in the NFL”, his physical prowess has provided the foundation to him becoming a linchpin in the Chiefs’ running attack and a focal point of the various schemes they run.

He’s known to offer a stout anchor in pass protection with aggression in his run blocking, burying defenders into the turf and playing beyond the whistle. His intelligence goes beyond commanding his own position, and he is able to take concepts from the coach’s playbook to the field.

But football isn’t the only reason this 27-year-old may end up being talked about alongside other NFL all-time greats from Canada such as Nate Burleson, O.J. Atogwe and Austin Collie because in 2018 he graduated from medical school to become a qualified physician. A long-time passion for the NFL star, he’s spent the last four years juggling professional football with studies at Montreal’s McGill University.

Injury can cost players seasons, contracts and even careers. For Duvernay-Tardif, it has so far cost him half a season. Next year, all eyes will be on whether or not the broken leg he suffered in 2018 will hamper his progression and longevity. But once he hangs up his boots, he might find himself in the emergency room saving lives, thus becoming a new kind of hero and reaffirming his legacy as one of Canada’s great sports stars.