Before leaving, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif returned to where it all began for him, or almost: the football field at McGill University.
It was on this field that a young LDT began to dream of the NFL, a fantastic scenario which would finally materialize in 2014, when the Kansas City Chiefs chose him in the sixth round of the draft.
But at 32 and after seven seasons in the NFL, after 73 games, two different teams and a Super Bowl with the Chiefs, in 2020, Duvernay-Tardif decided enough was enough, and on Thursday, under the September sun, he confirmed his retirement, amid some tears.
He recalled many memories, including his evaluation camp here in Quebec. A camp where, “against all odds”, NFL scouts had chosen to show up to come and evaluate him.
He talked about the Chiefs, “the only team that believed I could combine medical studies with football,” according to him.
“In Kansas City, to play football, it’s the best place,” he added. We built something special there, with Andy Reid, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Patrick Mahomes… At one point during the Super Bowl, we were trailing, but all the guys on the bench knew that we were going to come back. »
He says he could have continued, although health problems have weighed him down in recent years, including this broken fibula suffered in 2018.
He said he received “a couple of offers” from NFL teams, but he was a little doubtful about his chances, having been forced into inactivity since his last game, in a Jets jersey. New York, 2022.
“Football is more than a sport; it’s the ultimate team sport. Working as a team with people from everywhere, people who have different values… that’s all that football taught me. »
It will be retirement, therefore, but only a field retreat, because over the next few years, he will have the opportunity to write several new chapters of his life. He has 18 months of residency remaining at the Jewish General Hospital, not to mention his many other projects, including this foundation that bears his name, as well as the family bakery, of which he has become the owner.
With all that, he probably didn’t have time for football anymore.
“I’ve been weighing the pros and cons for two years to determine if I want to come back, and every year there were more and more cons… but I’ll still have a love of football. »
He recalled that at this time last year, he was having trouble getting to sleep, so much was the prospect of a return to play tormenting him.
But not this time. This time it’s time to leave, he finally admitted.
“Yes, it’s a good time…”
