Super Bowl champ Laurent Duvernay-Tardif feels the love from Montreal fans
The doctor/offensive guard thanked Montrealers for their support
One week after Laurent Duvernay-Tardif helped secure a Super Bowl win for the Kansas City Chiefs, he was back in Montreal to share the moment with hometown fans.
Duvernay-Tardif spent the afternoon at Parc Jean-Drapeau for the last day of the Fête des neiges.
The McGill medical school graduate and NFL champion was greeted with rapturous applause as he walked onstage and was greeted by Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.
"What a blessing. I really feel honoured and privileged," he told reporters. "Fans are awesome. I feel like in Montreal they respect you. They're just so proud of you."
Duvernay-Tardif met with a group of young fans on Sunday. He said that in the off-season, he'll be focusing on his charitable foundation, which encourages students to balance sports with creative pursuits.
"Find your passion. Don't be shy to dream big and think big and have a vision for yourself," Duvernay-Tardif said. "If I can pass that message to the kids, it's going to be mission accomplished for me."
Duvernay-Tardif, a native of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., is the first medical doctor to play in the NFL, let alone win a Super Bowl ring.
Kansas City selected the six-foot-five, 321-pound offensive lineman in the sixth round, 200th overall, of the 2014 NFL draft. He was still in medical school at the time.
After fracturing his fibula at the start of the 2018 season, Duvernay-Tardif made a big comeback this year.
"Last season was a disaster for me, personally. I had surgery, I was away from the game for 15 weeks," he said.
It was the support of fans back home in Quebec, and in Kansas City, that helped him keep a positive attitude, he added.
"I want to thank all the fans for their support," he said. "To win this thing, it's unbelievable."