Canadian Coast Guard’s Honorary Captain

The Canadian Coast Guard’s Honorary Captain is an important link between us and the many communities we serve. They act as an ambassador for the Canadian Coast Guard, helping to strengthen our relationships with local communities and celebrate the work of the Canadian Coast Guard.

Our first Honorary Captain is NFL football player and graduate in medicine, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.

About Honorary Captains

An Honorary Captain is a celebrated and well-known Canadian that is selected to be an ambassador for the Canadian Coast Guard because their unique set of skills, values, and goals exemplifies our own commitment to serving Canadians.

Appointed by the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, they help to support recruitment activities and foster morale by:

• building and maintaining relationships between the Canadian Coast Guard and local communities
• visiting Canadian Coast Guard bases and/or vessels to meet with our personnel
• taking part in Canadian Coast Guard operations and activities
• supporting the values and mandate of the Canadian Coast Guard

From coast to coast to coast, an Honorary Captain continues the legacy of excellence in service, making an important impact in the lives of Canadians.

Our Honorary Captain

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

• Football player
• Graduate in medicine

Biography

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif’s meteoric rise has been so remarkable that the Kansas City Star called him “the most interesting man in the NFL.” And for good reason: not only is Laurent Duvernay-Tardif a 9 year NFL Veteran and Super Bowl Champion, he is also studying medicine at McGill University. In May 2018, he graduated with his doctorate in medicine, earning one of the biggest accomplishments of his life.

In May 2014, at the age of only 23, the Mont-Saint-Hilaire native became the 10th Canadian to be drafted by an NFL team from a Canadian university. In his second season in Kansas City, the six-foot-five-inch, 320-pound player earned the position of starting right guard on the team.

Passionate about both football and medicine, Laurent paid no attention when counsellors and family members advised him to choose between sports and studies. And it proved to be the right choice! “It’s all about balance. Don’t give up on your passions!” he tells the young people he meets at the many talks he gives at schools.

Laurent played university football with McGill University (2010 to 2013) after his college career with the Phénix at Collège André-Grasset (2008-2009). Previously, he played three seasons with the Richelieu Pirates in Beloeil, Quebec.

From the beginning of his career, he has been honoured with awards, both athletic and academic. In February 2020, he was an integral part of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl winning team as their starting Right Guard.

During the spring of 2020, Laurent lent a helping hand during the COVID-19 pandemic by working as an orderly at a long term care facility in the Montreal area. In July 2020, Laurent announced that he was opting out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19, becoming the 1st player of the 2020 NFL season to announce his decision to opt-out. While working on the front lines, he also enrolled in Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

In 2020, he was named co-recipient of the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award, as well as the co-winner for the 2020 Lou Marsh Trophy. He was also named to “l’Ordre National du Québec” in 2020. In 2021, he was the recipient of the Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award. Laurent was also the inaugural recipient of the 2021 Canada’s Walk of Fame National Hero Honour in December 2021. This award presentation was aired on CTV. His scrubs and lab coat are now on display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Already very involved in his community, despite his grueling schedule, Laurent is driven by the desire to get young people excited about physical activity and art, as well as promoting balance between sports, arts, and studies. In 2017, his longtime girlfriend, Florence, and him cofounded the Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Foundation, its mission being to encourage sports, arts, and studies for kids.

An avid sailor—he spent many summers as a camp counselor—and fan of contemporary art, Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is as charismatic as he is physically imposing, and his future holds great promise.

Contact information

To connect with Honorary Captain Laurent Duvernay-Tardif follow him on social media or check out his website to learn more.