Thursday, February 13, 2020
Super Bowl LIV
You
know
that it is not just another football game. A culmination of
everything in the football world from the 2019 season in one
final
game. The San Francisco Forty-Niners headed to Miami to take
on the
Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday for the big game. It was a most
entertaining game, with an exciting halftime show headlined by
J Lo
and Shakira. Certainly a pleasant distraction from the bumping
and
grinding on the football field.
The
Chiefs
emerged victorious, 31-20, scoring three touchdowns in the
fourth
quarter. The game was tied 10-10 at half time. The 49ers
scored the
next ten points. And then the Chiefs put the hammer down, and
surged
to victory. They were led by Patrick Mahomes, their young very
capable superstar who was presented with the Most Valuable
Player
Trophy after the game.
But
Mahomes,
and every other professional quarterback who has ever played
the
game, will tell you that they could not succeed without
protection
against rushing defensive linemen.
In
2014, the
Chiefs signed a young medical student attending McGill
University in
Montreal, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. In a week's time, he will
celebrate his 29th birthday. He originally signed a
four
year contract for 2.34 million dollars, with a bonus of $ 100
000 to
help pick up the cost of medical texts.
“When I
got drafted in 2014, it was a promise that I made to myself
that I
was going to keep grinding and pushing to combine my passions
at the
highest level to show people what was possible. With the help
of
Coach Reid and with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill, it was
possible to do that.”
Three
years
later, he signed a deal giving him $42.35 million, with $20.28
million guaranteed, and a $10 million signing bonus.
He had
started medical school in 2010, but continued playing
football. “I
think there are a lot of similarities between football and
emergency
medicine. You never really know in emergency what's going to
step
through the door. There's also that adrenaline rush, in both
instances.”
One
thing
that did not hurt Laurent's chances when he went to the Chiefs
was
that Coach Andy Reid's mother also graduated in medicine from
McGill,
one of the first women to do so. It is not too far fetched to
think
that she might have suggested to her son that he “should give
that
nice young man a second look.” Perhaps.
Mind
you,
Laurent stands 6' 5”, and tips the scales at 325 pounds. He is
an
offensive guard, and wears # 76 on his back.
The
next
time you run into him, you might get a chance to see his Super
Bowl
ring. A great accomplishment for the MD from Mont Saint
Hilaire,
Quebec. Felicitations, Laurent!
James
Hurst
February
4,
2020
-- James Hurst 613.399.2278 sportslices.blogspot.ca
# posted by James Hurst @ 7:29 AM 
