I won the Super Bowl in 2020 but then took a year off football – I wanted to stay home and advance my other career

LAURENT Duvernay-Tardif does not like to be called a hero – but it is impossible to consider him anything but one.

Three months after helping the Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LIV in February 2020, the offensive lineman started work as an orderly in a care facility to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

Then in July that year, the Canadian became the first NFL player to opt out of the 2020 season to continue his work on the front line.

At 29, Duvernay-Tardif knew he was putting himself – and his NFL career – at major risk.

But he felt it was his duty to help others and put his medical degree to good use.

Duvernay-Tardif had graduated from medical school at Montreal's McGill University earlier in his NFL career but had not yet qualified to become a practicing physician.

After returning to Montreal following the Chiefs' Super Bowl victory, Duvernay-Tardif reached out to the medical school at McGill University to find out how he could help.

He was assigned to assist in a long-term care facility, where his roles ranged from feeding patients, changing their clothes, and administering medicine.

Due to the shortage of medical personnel, Duvernay-Tardif deferred his $2.75million salary at the Chiefs to help the elderly and infirm in Montreal.

"This is one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in my life but I must follow my convictions and do what I believe is right for me personally," Duvernay-Tardif said when he opted out of the 2020 NFL season.

"Being at the frontline during this offseason has given me a different perspective on this pandemic and the stress it puts on individuals and our healthcare system. 

"I cannot allow myself to potentially transmit the virus in our communities simply to play the sport that I love. 

"If I am to take risks, I will do it caring for patients."

To try to stay fit, Duvernay-Tardif built a weight room on the balcony of his apartment, with all the fitness centers in Montreal closed. 

As hard as it was to watch the Chiefs play on TV, the hulking 6-foot-5, 321-pound lineman knew he was doing the right thing.

"I gotta be able to look at myself 10 years from now when I'm going to be a physician and be like, 'I made the right decision'," he told NFL.com.

In early 2021, Duvernay-Tardif stopped working at the care facility and returned to the Chiefs in the hope of making the roster after a year away.

"My teammates and coaches played a huge role in making me feel welcome again," he told ESPN.

"In the first huddle of minicamp practice, coach Andy Reid yelled out, 'Hey Doc, welcome back!'" 

"That little sentence meant everything to me. The acknowledgement. It felt so special to get back out there."

After returning to the Chiefs, Duvernay-Tardif suffered a hand injury in training camp and after spending time away inactive he was traded to the New York Jets in November 2021.

He then re-signed for the Jets last November but is currently without an NFL contract.

For his efforts during the pandemic, Duvernay-Tardif was given a multitude of awards.

Sports Illustrated named him one of its Sportspeople of the Year, while he was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's top athlete. 

Duvernay-Tardif was also named the winner of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award at the 2021 ESPY Awards.

Even his medical scrubs and lab coat are displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

But the modest NFL star does not think what he did was heroic.

"I am grateful for the recognition and applause that I receive for returning to the front lines," he said. 

"But when I am being elevated, I want to elevate all of the other front-line and healthcare workers who didn't receive public recognition and applause. 

"They are the real heroes. They put everything on the line in order to care for other people and protect our society. I followed their sacrifices. 

"I may get the spotlight, especially as I attempt to return to the field, but they really deserve it."

Duvernay-Tardif has since taken an online Masters of Public Health degree from Harvard University and started his medical residency at Montreal’s Jewish General Hospital.

He also wrote the book Red Zone: From the Offensive Line to the Front Lines of the Pandemic.