Red Zone: From the Offensive Line to the Front Line of the Pandemic

by Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

In July 2020, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif sent shockwaves through the sports world by becoming the first NFL player to opt out of the upcoming season during the global pandemic  

As plans for the 2020 NFL season ramped up and daily cases of Covid-19 continued to skyrocket, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, a fixture on the offensive line of the Kansas City Chiefs, stepped away from the game he loved. Not only an active player but also a medical school graduate, Laurent withdrew when he realized that continuing to play—and potentially spreading the virus—was antithetical to everything he believed in. For the first time in his remarkable career, Laurent couldn’t reconcile his twin passions of football and medicine, and with his team’s Super Bowl win only months behind him, found himself on the front lines of the pandemic, working in a long-term care facility in Quebec.  

But that was just the beginning of the story. As Laurent settled into his new reality, he quickly came up against a severe Covid outbreak in his hospital unit. Meanwhile, his team, the Kansas City Chiefs, entered the playoffs as the favorites to repeat as champions in a season that saw countless games postponed due to league-wide outbreaks, including one on his own offensive line. 

From the incredible highs of winning the Super Bowl to the burnout of working as an orderly, Red Zone takes readers inside Laurent’s life as he grapples with his roles of medical professional and NFL football player during a global pandemic. But this captivating memoir also reveals Laurent’s remarkable personal story, detailing how his insatiable curiosity and solid work ethic led him from his family’s bakery in Montreal to his role as one of the most fascinating and accomplished people in professional sports.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Football, Science, Canada

318 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Chantal Côté · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I know nothing about football but I do admire LDT and I was eager to learn about him. I learned a lot reading this biography and I have the utmost respect for him. What an exceptional human being!

However, this was not the book I was expecting. I thought he was sharing his experience in a long care facility during the pandemy. He did but he does share much more as it reads like a biography, how he came into football, medicine, his pastimes, family values,etc.

It was an interesting read however I did not care much about football and play descriptions.

I believe Laurent Duvernay Tardif will do great in medicine and will for sure become a health speaker down the line. As with everything he touches, I predict success!

[Gordon Ariss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting human! Unbelievable what he accomplished. Gives you a good look into the depths of Covid in old age communities. Very inspiring.

[Cath · Rating 2 out of 5]

I grew up in Quebec and was a university student in the same years as him. I remember his drafting by the NFL being a big deal back then. I remember admiring the fact that he was still pursuing his MD while playing football. But I've never been a football fan so after that I never really thought about him again. I wasn't in Quebec when the pandemic hit so I also didn't see the whole media coverage about him being on the frontlines then so when I saw this book, it got me intrigued. I watch some football now and I am in the medical field so I thought it would be very interesting.

Well I was wrong. This book is about 75% football and 25% pandemic. The football parts are too technical for me, I found myself kind of glazing over some paragraphs not really sure any of the technical football was adding anything to the story.

I also found his writing style a bit simplistic, so many repetitive sequences when he's trying to emphasize a point. We get it, football is hard work. You're also paid hundred of thousands of US dollars and have a team of people helping in every sphere of your life to be able to achieve that hardwork so ...
I was hoping the book would be more about the pandemic, more about his personal opinion of the way things were handled in the NFL and on the front lines but it felt more like him singing praise to himself with a bit of false modesty. If you don't think you're a hero for doing what you did, then don't say people called you a hero and pretend you didn't like it.

I don't know, I felt like I was reading his personal "feel good" journal.

I admire his determination for going through and completing med school while playing football at a professional level, but the book was just a bust for me, too much self interest, poor writing style. Would not recommend it.

[Heather Jackson (Riddle) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought I would love this book as it brought two worlds of interests together. However I found it slow, and at times hard to continue reading.

His story is unique, and I appreciate the gratitude he shares for the front line workers. However this is not a book I would sit down and read again.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want a motivational read, this is a good one. More about football than the pandemic

[Carolyn Larocque · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an inspirational man! Love his kindness and compassion. He will make a difference to many as he continues his medical career.

[Kal · Rating 2 out of 5]

309 pages of patting himself on the back. 2 stars because I like football and the KCC

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurent Duvernay Tardif is an exceptional Canadian. He has been one of the few Canadians selected to play for the NFL, first for Kansas City, now for New York. In the off season, he attended to his medical studies in Quebec. For several years, this schedule worked well for him and motivated him. When COVID hit, he temporarily left his beloved football game to work in a long term care home in Quebec. His memoir describes not just his balancing of football and medicine, but his unconventional upbringing and family background. This is a person who only thrives when driven. His sisters also are pursuing medical studies and elite sports. The red zone refers to the possible winning area in football and also, a hospital crisis. I am not a football fan, but I certainly learned a lot about the game. Although a co-winner of the Lou Marsh award, he humbly extols the heroism of the frontline workers.

[Sorina Ioana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a proud McGill graduate, this one practically flew off the shelf and into my arms 😅🇨🇦 “Red Zone” is about French-Canadian icon, Laurent Duvernay Tardif’s twin passions of football and medicine. Not only has the man won a Super Bowl, but with a medical doctorate from the top school in the country, he chose to pause his NFL career to fight on the front lines of the pandemic. I really enjoyed reading about how he was able to balance professional football and med school, without feeling the pressure to choose between them. Laurent is INCREDIBLE, and as with anything else he touches, this book was a success. I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, simply for the fact I’m not big on football plays and terminology. I found myself getting lost and distracted during these chapters, but enjoyed the story, nonetheless.

[Lyndsey O'Keeffe-Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book having been a family member of a professional football player (in the CFL) and someone from my hometown I was interested to see his journey into the NFL.

I was quite surprised to learn how little he knew about the NFL prior to joining and the duality between him playing the sport and studying medicine. I had been curious about how that worked but Duvernay Tardif really broke it down.

It was interesting to read the thought process that went behind the opt out and reading about the first hand accounts in the long term care home.

This is a book any avid sports fan will highly enjoy.

[Kath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
I have to say that I was disappointed... maybe my expectations were too high but as other reviews have said - it was thought to be about his time during the pandemic (and also to tell readers how he got to where he is) but I felt like this was more about football than the pandemic.
It was interesting (as a fellow Canadian) to read his story but I found myself skimming over alot of the football stuff. I enjoy learning about some of how he got to the big leagues but it focused too much on that.
I do admire him and have a ton of respect for him... his writing skills leave a bit to be desired.

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book we bought while visiting relatives in Quebec. We had to go to a bookstore in Sherbrooke as the one in Victoriaville didn't have it. Tardif's story is a tale for the ages. Any one who has played football or had a relative involved with sports will be affected. . Its a riveting. Wbag makes it so telling is when Tardif decides to step away from the sport which he was part off to become more involved in the physical intramurals of health-care providing.. All providers will recognize themselves in the scenerios he describes...the thoughts....wishes....doubts...Well written. Thank you Larry for giving insight into you travail.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting view into the football player and Dr I must say that I didn’t know much of his story and I was impressed to hear more about the person who was becoming on and off the fields and also how he was called to serve during the Covid pandemic.

[Will Deys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for helping to understand how a high level athlete chooses between competition and advancing their career.

Add in a Canadian angle and the covid period he worked through, and the interest went up.

[Paige Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading about Laurent and his incredible journey in life so far!

[chix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a football fan, never will be. It's Insightful and Inspiring. Worth the read!

[Dorothy Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. He he had to 2 writers and I wonder how much they communicated with each other because there seemed to be a lot of repetition of various things/ideas.

[Art · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was disappointed that Tardif left off with 2021, and has no updates. After investing that amount of time, I expect more. Nothing on Wikipedia, or Facebook? I’m ticked.

[Sean Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent memoir. Great insight into what goes into football and his thought process between medicine and sports.

[B.M. M. Polier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting a football biography when I picked this book up as part of my Covid pandemic reads. But that's what it is. It's a good thing I like football and he's Canadian 😂

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff sounds like a very empathetic person. I hope that he decides to become a family doctor as there is a shortage of them across Canada and we could all use his empathy.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honest and thought provoking insights!

[Pam Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look into the life of a retired NFL player, who also attended medical school. The one who sat out of the league for a year, to help those in need during a global crisis.

[Anya Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit of a drag (hence how it took me two months to read) but cool story

[Bryce Doiron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for Sports fans, but also just a really unique story.

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif could easily stand in for the “Wolrld’s Most Interesting Man” from this old Dos Equis commercials. It is difficult to encompass the entirety of the man. Educated at McGill and Harvard. Professional football player drafted to the NFL out of one of the worst football schools in Canada. Starting offensive lineman for the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Medical Doctor. Pandemic Orderly. Bilingual. Accomplished sailor. Entrepreneur. Etc. Etc. fascinating person. Don’t try to live up to him. Not possible.