NFL tells player he can't have 'M.D.' on jersey despite medical degree - report
Nobody is quite sure who dubbed the NFL as the “No Fun League,” but the joke runs true again.
With all of the negativity around its players’ images, one would think the league would rush to celebrate positive stories.
Apparently, one would think wrong.
Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was selected in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL draft out of McGill University in Canada.
He won a job as a starting offensive tackle for Kansas City, and last year signed a five-year contract extension worth $41.25 million.
Oh, and he’s a doctor as well.
In February, Duvernay-Tardif floated the idea of putting “M.D.” on the back of his uniform.
“I want to put Duvernay-Tardif M.D. on my jersey,” he told the Kansas City Star. “I’ve already started a conversation with the league office and they say that anything is possible.”
Until it’s not.
Montreal-based reporter Andy Mailly-Pressoir reports that Tardif has been denied by the NFL.
While the league does allow players to put “Jr.” or “Sr.” on the back of their uniforms, apparently, celebrating someone who seemingly has done everything right is just too much.
To his credit, Tardif is handling things with the proper perspective.
So proud to wear the doctor's uniform, even though there is no number 76 on this one. 😉#passion #mcgill #medicine #chiefs #football #life #nfl pic.twitter.com/tZKLfGLinW
— Laurent D. Tardif (@LaurentDTardif) June 12, 2018
The NFL hasn’t officially announced its decision, but it’s interesting to think about what could be its reasoning.
The great Reggie White was an ordained minister, so I wonder how the league would have reacted if he had asked to have “Rev. White” on the back of his jersey. Steve Young graduated law school while he was a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Imagine seeing “Young, Esq.” on the back of his uniform.
With as much negative publicity as the NFL has received in the past few years, you would think a league would like to add some class to its rosters by having fans see doctors, ministers and even lawyers on the field of play. Those are the kinds of NFL jerseys that could really inspire kids.
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