Chiefs offensive Laurent Duvernay-Tardif earned his medical degree this summer, and he applied to the NFL asking if he could add M.D. to his jersey.
Shocker: the NFL said no.
In an offseason surrounded by controversy and the NFL being uptight, they continue to uphold the tradition of the ‘No Fun League.’ Duvernay-Tardif should be applauded for his efforts to go out and get his medical degree this offseason, not being disallowed from showing his accomplishments.
Going out and getting “M.D.” printed on his jersey could inspire kids watching the NFL. Instead, the league seemed to see this as a joke by Duvernay-Tardif, as they rejected it just a month after he earned his degree.
The league allows suffixes like Jr. or III, but not M.D. There really is no difference between titles; one just happens to be more formal than the others. These jersey suffixes are part of the people who wear them, and for the NFL to deny Duvernay-Tardif seems to just be petty. There’s nothing wrong with adding M.D. to your name. It’s just a new suffix, like junior or III.
First of all, how impressive is this? An NFL offensive lineman who plays in the most physical sport in the United States made time to go out during the offseason and earn his medical degree. All jokes aside, that is one of the more impressive feats in the NFL. He plays arguably the hardest position in the game and still made time to go to school and get his medical degree while other players were probably just resting.
If he is insistent on the jersey change, he’s got one option: go to the XFL. You can put any name you want on the back of your jersey, which could be appealing if he desperately wants M.D. on the back of his jersey. I doubt he would go to those lengths to get his name on the jersey, but it is definitely an option.
Also, there is no reason the NFL should be rejecting this jersey change for Duvernay-Tardif. It would be such a cool change to see in the NFL. Imagine being a kid, watching TV, and seeing that one of the players is a doctor. How awesome would that be?
Not to mention I would feel so safe if I were his teammate. Any type of medical emergency — he’s there to help. The Chiefs don’t need a team doctor anymore. They have Duvernay-Tardif, MD!