In February of 2020, Canada native Laurent Duvernay-Tardif became a football legend when he and the Kansas City Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years.

This well-achieved 29-year-old is the first medical school graduate to play in the NFL!

Since the highlight of his football career only a few months ago, the Coronavirus pandemic has cast much uncertainty on Laurents football residency program.

But that hasn’t stopped this driven and multi-talented man from keeping himself busy! He is now putting his education to good use by working the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.

Duvernay-Tardif and his girlfriend Florence had taken a celebratory getaway to the Caribbean when the first news of the outbreak began.

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Upon realizing the seriousness of the outbreak, they ended their trip early and returned to Montreal in March.

He immediately wanted to help, but the first step was to self-isolate for 14 days to be sure he wasn’t infected. After that, he faced another obstacle but was determined to contribute to the cause. He had a medical degree, but no license to practice!

Soon enough he got the go-ahead from officials and his team to assist medical professionals in a role similar to nursing. Today, he’s working at a long-term care facility near Montreal. Such intense healthcare work is challenging, even for an NFL star!

Still, Duvernay-Tardif finds this exhausting work rewarding.

“There’s so much that needs to happen just to visit with every patient — masks donned and hands washed and equipment like gloves and visors tugged on and off and thrown away,” he wrote for Sports Illustrated. “Honestly, I was drained after — and looking forward to going back.”

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As if that wasn’t enough, he has also joined the NFL Players Association task force to help determine when and how teams can safely start playing again. While no one can truly know when football will be back in the spotlight, Duvernay-Tardif will be focused on saving lives. Part of that means educating the public and encouraging people to take precautions to slow the spread of this virus.

He wants to share the credit with everyone who is contributing as well.

“Yes, that’s me in the picture, but this isn’t about me. It’s about all the people who have been working on the front since the beginning of this pandemic; people of diverse professional training who come together to make a difference.” he wrote on Instagram.

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Duvernay-Tardif is admirable in more ways than one, and he won’t let anything distract him.

“I have accepted this challenge with a lot of pride and humility,” he said. “I am committed to helping to the best of my ability — helping put a smile on a patient’s face, helping to give a day off to caregivers who have been working crazy hours since the start of the pandemic. Every move counts.”

This determination is particularly inspiring in a time when many people are stuck at home with little to do. Still, we should keep in mind that we all have a role in helping the world heal from this pandemic.

Let’s slow the spread by continuing to follow professional recommendations such as social distancing guidelines.

We’re all in this together!

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Source: Inspire More, Instagram, Facebook, Sports Illustrated