Tua Tagovailoa is a quarterback who plays for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. After a legendary start to his college career, Tagovailoa is tasked with making it as a young quarterback in the NFL. So far, he has shown flashes of being the kind of player who can rise to that challenge.
Tagovailoa went to the Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii, where he played football in high school. In just two seasons, Tagovailoa threw 60 touchdown passes and earned notoriety as a four-star recruit. He had scholarship offers from over a dozen schools, but chose to play college football at the University of Alabama.
As a freshman, Tagovailoa was called into significant action right away, replacing Jalen Hurts in the College Football Playoff championship game. He led the Crimson Tide to a legendary comeback win, throwing the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime. Interestingly enough, that touchdown pass went to fellow freshman Devonta Smith. Smith later went on to win the Heisman Trophy as a member of the Crimson Tide’s 2021 national championship team.
As a sophomore, Tagovailoa won the Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Award, even after suffering an ankle injury in the SEC Championship Game. He led Alabama to a runner-up finish in that year’s College Football Playoff and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting. That season, Tagovailoa threw for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns. He threw just six interceptions that season.
Tagovailoa suffered another injury as a junior, as he was lost for the season after suffering a dislocated hip against Mississippi State. He suffered another ankle injury earlier in that season against Tennessee, and decided to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL Draft to avoid further injury risk. He did not take part in any of the drills in the NFL Scouting Combine, as he was not medically cleared to do so.
Tua Tagovailoa was drafted with the fifth overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He was the first quarterback to throw with his left hand to be selected by an NFL team since Tim Tebow was selected by the Denver Broncos in the draft a decade earlier. Tagovailoa entered the league with some lingering concerns about his durability, but those concerns have not resulted in any notable injuries at the professional level.
In his rookie season, Tagovailoa was initially made the backup quarterback for the Dolphins. He sat behind Ryan Fitzpatrick who, along with a stout Dolphins defense, had the team off to a good start. In Week 8, after a 3-3 start, the Dolphins made the move to start Tagovailoa once and for all. He led the Dolphins to a 10-6 record, though the team missed the playoffs.
The accuracy of Tagovailoa was impressive in his first season in the league. The rookie quarterback finished the season with a 64.1% completion rate despite learning the offense as he went along. He only threw five interceptions in nine starts, though the Dolphins would like to see a more explosive passing game with Tua at the helm in the future. Tua added three rushing touchdowns to go with his passing totals that season. Miami was largely protective of Tua during his rookie season, as they occasionally switched back to Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback.
Tua Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $30.3 million deal with the Miami Dolphins in 2020. From a salary and net worth perspective, the next couple of years are crucial for Tagovailoa. Success at the quarterback position could lead to a lucrative extension from the Dolphins or at least a sizable second contract elsewhere.
Tua Tagovailoa is the son of Diane Tagovailoa and Galu Tagovailoa. He has a younger brother, Taulia Tagovailoa. He also has two sisters. He was born in Ewa Beach in Hawaii. At this time, he appears to be single and does not have any children.
Tagovailoa’s late grandfather Seu was a big reason for him getting into football. When he passed, Tua considered quitting the sport of football entirely. But he elected to continue playing to honor his memory instead.
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