Duvernay-Tardif follows in Darche’s footsteps as future doctor playing football
The coincidences aren’t lost on Jean-Philippe Darche.
The 41-year-old St.-Laurent, Que., native is a McGill grad completing his family practice residency in Kansas City after finishing his pro football career there. It’s also where Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a fellow Redmen and future doctor from Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., is playing right guard with the Chiefs.
“We even went to the same CEGEP (Quebec junior college),” Darche said via telephone. “I hadn’t really heard of him until he started at McGill, I kind of followed him (online) and thought, ‘Well, this guy in med school seems to be pretty good.’
“After we met, I followed his career and we kept in touch and then he was drafted by the Chiefs (sixth round in ’14) and I thought, ‘What are the odds of that happening?’ He comes to my house regularly and my kids love him. He’s like their cool uncle Larry (Duvernay-Tardif’s nickname with his Kansas City teammates).”