Vorstellung » Ryder Cup after winning his first Champions

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif has become a master of time management. This off-season, the McGill Redmen offensive tackle/medical student has deftly juggled his schedule to accommodate working 60-plus hours a week in the pediatric emergency ward at Montreal Childrens Hospital, working out, playing football in Florida and travelling across the U.S. for individual sessions and visits with NFL officials. On Friday and Saturday, hell spend some well-earned down time watching television to learn where his football future lies. The six-foot-five, 314-pound Duvernay-Tardif is projected to go anywhere between the third and seventh rounds of the NFL draft, which begins Thursday night with the first round. The second and third rounds will go Friday, with the final four being held Saturday. "Ive enjoyed every moment of this process," the articulate Duvernay-Tardif said in a telephone interview. "Its been really intense but at the same time its amazing to think I might play in the NFL, which is a dream. "This process isnt one every 23-year-old gets to go through and I believe the interviews alone are something that will help me in my life. Ive really enjoyed it." Duvernay-Tardif, a converted defensive lineman, has been firmly entrenched atop the CFL central scouting bureaus list of the top-15 prospects for the May 13 draft. But the native of St. Hilaire, Que., has seen his NFL stock skyrocket following his pro day in Montreal in March. Auditioning for nine NFL teams -- Oakland, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Arizona, New York Jets, Green Bay, Chicago, San Francisco and Buffalo -- and four CFL clubs -- Montreal, Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa -- the two-time All-Canadian was impressive in posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.94 seconds, a 31.5-inch vertical and 34 reps in the bench press. Duvernay-Tardif wasnt invited to the NFL combine but those numbers were as good as any offensive lineman who tested in Indianapolis. NFL draft guru Mike Mayock, a former Toronto Argonauts defensive back, says Duvernay-Tardif -- who was featured in Sports Illustrated in March -- has definitely impressed. "I think Duvernay-Tardif has gone from an afterthought to a solid fourth- or fifth-round developmental project with starter skills," he said. Gil Brandt, the former Dallas Cowboys player-personnel director, also sees the towering McGill star being drafted. "I would imagine that a team will take a chance on him around the sixth or seventh round and hope to turn him into an NFL player," Brandt wrote in his blog on the NFLs website. However, Duvernay-Tardif isnt the only Canadian garnering NFL interest. Also highly regarded is Brent Urban, a six-foot-seven, 298-pound defensive tackle from the University of Virginia who was a 2013 second-round pick of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Urban, of Mississauga, Ont., was a two-year starter for the Cavaliers who was invited to this years Senior Bowl but missed the game due to injury. Injuries are the biggest knock against Urban but teams definitely like his ability in a 3-4 defensive scheme (three down linemen, four linebackers). "The Urban kid is interesting," Mayock said. "I wanted to see more of him at the Senior Bowl and he got hurt. "The five technique is probably his best position, a 3-4 defensive end in a 3-4 defence. I think he can go in the third round. I think hes a big, strong kid. Hes stout. In addition to playing that five technique, he could probably move inside also. So I like him and I think theres some significant upside there." Last year, Rice tight end Luke Willson, a native of LaSalle, Ont., was the lone Canadian drafted, going in the fifth round to the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks. In 2012, a record four players from Canada were selected. Three Canadians -- defensive linemen Tyrone Crawford of Windsor, Ont. (third round, Dallas) and Christo Bilukidi of Ottawa (sixth round, Oakland) and centre Philip Blake of Toronto (fourth round, Denver) -- were drafted. So was Akiem Hicks, an American defensive lineman who played at the University of Regina (third round, New Orleans). Other Canucks who could hear their name called include Winnipeg natives T.J. Jones, a receiver at Notre Dame, and John Urschel, an offensive lineman at Penn State, as well as Oregon linebacker Bo Lokombo, of Abbotsford, B.C. Duvernay-Tardif, Canadian university footballs top lineman in 13, performed at his pro day weighing 298 pounds, some 17 pounds under his playing weight at the East-West Shrine Bowl in January. But that was by design so Duvernay-Tardif could be quicker and more explosive in testing. "There are many NFL teams that like bigger offensive lineman and others like the Philadelphia Eagles who like offensive linemen to be a bit smaller and quicker," he said. "I think I was able to show I could be both kinds of player." Duvernay-Tardif said he visited with nine NFL teams following his pro day, with many curious how he can juggle football with his heavy academic load. During the season at McGill, Duvernay-Tardif had a limited practice schedule because of his studies, meaning he had to be imaginative in order to keep up. "I think most teams believe being involved in medicine is a plus but they want to know why and how youre able to manage that," he said. "I had to tell teams I was watching a lot of film by myself and having Facetime meetings with my coach to prepare for games because I wasnt able to attend every practice. "But when its time to go to the board and draw concepts and schemes and explain them, I can do that because I think medicine has helped me become a cerebral guy and able to process information." However, not all the questions Duvernay-Tardif faced dealt with football. "All the questions about drugs and arrests are kind of (out there) for me but I guess its a reality of professional football," he said. "But every time they did, I was like, What? For sure, no, I am not doing coke (cocaine) or anything like that." For prospects like Duvernay-Tardif, the draft culminates months of uncertainty and seemingly endless testing and intense questioning. However, Duvernay-Tardif wont be content just hearing his name called and signing an NFL contract. "The draft is important and will be a great moment," he said. "But at the same time if I go to a team and get cut during training camp I wouldnt have done anything. "My main focus will be going to training camp and working hard to make the team." 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According the CSNBayArea.com, the 31-year-old suffered an ACL injury in his right knee on Friday when he collided with Anaheims Emerson Etem during a pre-season game.SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Wild-card Joao Souza of Brazil claimed an upset 7-5, 6-4 win over fifth-seeded Robin Haase of the Netherlands on Monday in the first round of the clay-court Brazil Open. Souza broke Haase late in each set, serving to close out the match for his first win of the year. Haase, ranked 45th, had four chances to break the Brazilians serve, but couldnt capitalize on them. Sevennth-seeded Leonardo Mayer was also eliminated, losing to fellow-Argentine Guido Pella 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 6-7 (4) in 2 hours, 37 minutes at the event won by Rafael Nadal last year.dddddddddddd Mayer, served 11 aces and had five break opportunities in the final set while Pella had one, but each player broke each other only once. Tommy Hass of Germany is the tournaments top seed. ' ' '