When Laurent Duvernay-Tardif announced he was exercising his right to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season, he called it one most difficult decisions of his life at the time.
While that choice might have been tough for him professionally as the Kansas City Chiefs were coming off a Super Bowl win and had a strong chance to repeat, he realized his talents were needed elsewhere. His work during the COVID-19 pandemic has been well-documented and now he's getting the recognition he deserves.
It started last month when the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced it would display his scrubs and lab coat. Then, earlier this week, the Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., native was among the five athletes named Sports Illustrated's "Sportsperson of the Year" and took home a historic 2020 Lou Marsh Award as a co-winner with Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies.
Even though he's away from the Chiefs and the NFL this season, Duvernay-Tardif says he's still keeping in shape and has his sights on returning to the field in 2021.
“Right now I’m training to get to the same level of conditioning and athletic ability I was at before I opted out,” he said on a conference call Tuesday. “My focus is to go back in 2021 and win my spot on the line and win, what will be for me, the second Super Bowl in a row but probably for the Chiefs, it will be third Super Bowl in a row.”
As Duvernay-Tardif prepares to make his return to football, other Canadians across the league are producing during the 2020 campaign. Here's a look at how the rest of his countrymen are performing as the final stretch of the season looms.
Chase Claypool, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
12 GP | 47 REC | 649 YARDS | 8 TD | 2 RUSH TD
Claypool continued his historic season in November by becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era to score 10 touchdowns in his first 10 games.
The Abbotsford, B.C., native continues to find a way to stand out with a rookie receiving class that boasts impressive players like Justin Jefferson, Tee Higgins, CeeDee Lamb and Jerry Jeudy, who were all selected before Claypool.
While Claypool sits fifth among rookie receivers in targets, he leads the pack with a 129.3 rating when the ball is thrown his way. Jefferson sits just behind Claypool with a 124.3 rating.
Considering Claypool is not featured as a top target in the Steelers' offence, the 22-year-old has been pretty efficient and it's tough to argue the impact he's had with the Steelers.
Neville Gallimore, DT, Dallas Cowboys
10 GP | 15 TACKLES
It's been a tough season for the Cowboys, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but Gallimore has made the most of his opportunities to showcase his ability.
The Ottawa native began to see an increased role when Dallas cut Dontari Poe and Trysten Hill suffered an ACL injury, and he took advantage with a strong game against the Steelers on Nov. 8. He was graded in the top 10 among run defenders versus Pittsburgh in one of the Cowboys' best efforts in stopping the run this season.
There was also a signature moment for Canadian football fans in that game, as Eli Ankou, Gallimore, Tyrone Crawford and Claypool gathered for a photo on the field.
Gallimore also added some Canadian flavour to his cleats as part of the NFL's "My Cause My Cleats" initiative as he chose to honour the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. The non-profit organization offers programs and helps remove barriers that impact those dealing with blindness.
@Path2Greatwork was sporting some special cleats in support of the @CNIB as part of the NFL's My Cause My Cleats campaign. pic.twitter.com/k83UWNVczo
— David Morassutti (@d_morassutti) December 10, 2020
Tevaughn Campbell, DB, Los Angeles Chargers
10 GP | 16 TACKLES | 1 INT | 1 TD
After becoming just the second Canadian to play cornerback in an NFL game in the past 50 years, Campbell added another milestone to his resume in Week 11 against his former team, the New York Jets.
The Scarborough native jumped in front of a pass by Joe Flacco and ran back into the end zone for his first career pick-six. He also made a big play late in that game to prevent another touchdown.
Back in 2019, Campbell signed a reserve/future deal with the Jets after spending four seasons in the CFL. He was then waived by New York and found a spot on the Chargers' practice squad.
Finally getting himself into the lineup this season, Campbell has been impressing head coach Anthony Lynn after a move to slot cornerback, a position the 27-year-old has never played until this campaign.
“This young man is just getting better every single game,” Lynn said about Campbell's progress. “He hadn’t played a lot of American football, so I like what he’s doing and I like how (defensive backs coach) Ron Milus is developing this young man.
“The more football he plays, the better his football instincts are going to be. And you’re going to see him make more of those plays.”
N’Keal Harry, WR, New England Patriots
11 GP | 29 REC | 277 YARDS | 2 TD
After showing some progress at the start of the season, injuries have slowed Harry down and he seems to have fallen out of favour with quarterback Cam Newton, who has developed some chemistry with Jakobi Meyers and Damiere Byrd.
Harry did find the end zone in Week 13 against the Chargers for the first time since Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs. The lack of progress this season, however, has many wondering what the future holds for the 32nd-overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin has offered to train with Harry during the off-season as he believes the Toronto native has more to offer, especially with his six-foot-four 225-pound frame.
During the Patriots' Week 14 loss to the Chargers, the 22-year-old caught three of four targets from 49 yards. In that game, he showcased his ability to use his size, making a contested catch for 30 yards.
N’Keal Harry snatched that
(via @thecheckdown)pic.twitter.com/HNKpn93XSq— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 11, 2020
“Just a ball that was up in the air and I went and got it,” Harry told reporters about the play. “Simple as that. … I pride myself on those 50/50 balls. Whenever a ball like that is in the air, I expect myself to come down with it 10 times out of 10.”
Brent Urban, DE, Chicago Bears
12 GP | 31 TACKLES | 1 SACK
Urban continues to show his value as a rotational piece on the Bears defensive line. He has seen his playtime increase with Akiem Hicks nursing a hamstring injury and has contributed as a result.
In Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings, Urban recorded six tackles to set a new season-high and his 29 tackles on the season are a new career-best for the 29-year-old.
Christian Covington, DT, Cincinnati Bengals
12 GP | 29 TACKLES
Covington has also set a new career-high in tackles with 29 through 12 games this season after registering 28 in 16 contests with the Cowboys in 2019. He still hasn't registered a sack yet this season and will spend the rest of the campaign working to ensure he can get another contract in 2021, whether in Cincinnati or elsewhere.
With the Bengals out of the playoff picture, Covington will look to make the most of any snaps he can get.
