American football player (born 1998)

Player stats at NFL.com:·:PFR

Tuanigamanuolepola Tagovailoa (/ˌtʌŋoʊvaɪˈloʊə/ TUNG-oh-vy-LOW-uh; born March 2, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Alabama, where he was the Offensive MVP of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship and received the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards as a sop*re. Although his junior season was cut short by a hip injury, he was selected fifth overall by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa began his career as a backup before taking over as starter towards the end of his rookie year and served as Miami's primary starter in 2021.

Contents

• 1 Early life and high school career
• 2 College career
  • 2.1 2017 season
  • 2.2 2018 season
  • 2.3 2019 season
  • 2.4 Statistics
• 3 Professional career
  • 3.1 2020
  • 3.2 2021
• 4 NFL career statistics
• 5 Personal life
  • 5.1 Philanthropy
• 6 Notes
• 7 References
• 8 External links

Early life and high school career

Tagovailoa was born in ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii to Galu and Diane Tagovailoa, as the oldest of four children in a Samoan family. He was said to have grown up with an intense interest in football, with his parents noting that he would sleep with a football under his arm every night as a small child. During Pop Warner games when he was eight years old, when his peers could typically throw a football little more than 10 yards, he routinely threw p*es of more than 30 yards.

As a child his main inspiration was his grandfather Seu Tagovailoa. He was highly respected in the local Samoan community and was regularly addressed as "Chief Tagovailoa". Seu believed that Tua would eventually grow into a football star and he requested that he visit him after every game to report his progress. Tua briefly considered quitting the sport after Seu's death in 2014 until he and his father agreed that he could best honor him by continuing to play.

When Tagovailoa began varsity football in high school, he threw for 33 p*ing touchdowns during his first season with three interceptions and 2,583 p*ing yards. Tagovailoa said a big inspiration and motivation for his performance was how his father disciplined him, saying he used a belt whenever Tagovailoa threw an interception. In 2016, Tagovailoa played in the All-American Bowl, and in his regular season threw for 2,669 p*ing yards with 27 p*ing touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was also chosen to be a part of the Elite 11 roster as one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation, where he was named MVP of that roster.

Tagovailoa was deemed a four-star recruit during the 2017 recruiting cycle and was ranked the top high school prospect in the state of Hawaii. He attended Saint Louis School in Honolulu, the same school as 2014 Heisman Trophy winner and future Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Marcus Mariota, where Mariota served as a mentor to him when they were growing up in Hawaii. He had 17 offers to play on a college football scholarship before eventually enrolling at the University of Alabama in January 2017.

College career

2017 season

As a true freshman, Tagovailoa was the backup to sop*re quarterback Jalen Hurts throughout the 2017 season. However, he experienced significant playing time due to a couple of blowout victories for the Crimson Tide. On September 9, he made his collegiate debut against Fresno State in a home game at Bryant–Denny Stadium. In the 41–10 victory, he finished 6-of-9 for 64 yards and his first career p*ing touchdown, which was a 16-yard p* to wide receiver Henry Ruggs III. On September 23, in a 59–0 victory against Vanderbilt, he got more playing time and recorded 103 p*ing yards and two p*ing touchdowns. In the next game, against SEC West rival Ole Miss, he recorded his first collegiate rushing touchdown in a 66–3 victory. In the annual rivalry game against Tennessee, he finished with 134 p*ing yards, one p*ing touchdown, one interception, and one rushing touchdown in the 45–7 victory. On November 18, in a game against Mercer, he threw for three p*ing touchdowns in the 56–0 victory. On January 8, 2018, he replaced Hurts in the second half of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship due to ineffective play by Hurts. He threw the game-winning 41-yard touchdown p* in overtime to another true freshman, wide receiver DeVonta Smith as the Crimson Tide defeated the Georgia Bulldogs; 26–23 claiming their 17th National Championship. He finished the game 14-of-24 for 166 p*ing yards, three p*ing touchdowns and one interception, along with 27 rushing yards on 12 attempts. Tagovailoa was named the Offensive MVP of the game.

2018 season

Tagovailoa with Alabama in 2018.

On September 1, 2018, Tagovailoa made his first career start at the season's opening game, against Louisville, in Orlando, Florida. He finished 12-of-16, with 227 p*ing yards and two touchdowns in the 51–14 victory, before Jalen Hurts replaced him in the third quarter. During Alabama head coach Nick Saban's weekly Monday press conference following the victory, he announced Tagovailoa as the starter for The Crimson Tide's home opener against Arkansas State on September 8. In the 62–7 victory over Ole Miss, he was 11-of-15 for 191 p*ing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 47 rushing yards. He continued his efficient season against Texas A&M with 387 p*ing yards, four p*ing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown in the 45–23 victory. In a limited role against Louisiana, he was 8-of-8 p*ing for 128 p*ing yards and two p*ing touchdowns in the 56–14 victory. In the next game against Arkansas, he had more p*ing touchdowns than incompletions as he went 10-of-13 for 334 p*ing yards and four p*ing touchdowns in the 65–31 victory. Following the regular season, he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, but he won the Walter Camp Award and Maxwell Award for 2018, both awarded to the top player in college football. While recovering from the high ankle sprain he suffered during the SEC Championship against Georgia, Tagovailoa put on a nearly flawless offensive performance against Oklahoma in the 2018 Orange Bowl (24-of-27 with 318 yards p*ing, four touchdowns and no interceptions) to lead the Tide to their fourth consecutive CFP National Championship appearance. He was also named Offensive MVP of that game. In the 2019 National Championship loss (44–16) against Clemson, Tagovailoa went 22-of-34 with 295 p*ing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also set a new NCAA FBS p*er rating record of 199.4 for the season, surp*ing the record 198.9 set by Baker Mayfield in 2017.

2019 season

Tagovailoa began his junior season at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game with a victory against Duke in Atlanta. He finished 26-of-31 with 336 p*ing yards and four touchdowns before sitting out the fourth quarter. The second game of the season was a home opener victory against New Mexico State. Tagovailoa finished that game 16-of-24 with 227 p*ing yards and four total touchdowns before sitting out the fourth quarter. In his third game of the season, a victory against South Carolina, Tagovailoa finished 28-of-36 with 444 p*ing yards and five touchdowns. In the Tide's 49–7 victory against Southern Miss, Tagovailoa finished 17-of-21 with 293 p*ing yards and five touchdowns. In the Tide's fifth game, a victory against Ole Miss, Tagovailoa finished 26-of-36 with 418 p*ing yards and seven total touchdowns. In the Tide's 47–28 victory against Texas A&M, Tagovailoa finished 21-of-34 with 293 p*ing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.

Tagovailoa left the Tide's seventh game against Tennessee early in the second quarter after suffering a high ankle sprain. He underwent surgery to repair the ankle the following day, and did not play in the next game against Arkansas (a 48–7 victory led by quarterback Mac Jones). Tagovailoa returned three weeks post-surgery to play in the 46–41 loss to top-ranked LSU. Despite some struggles (a fumble and INT) in the first half of that game, Tagovailoa rebounded after halftime to finish 21-of-40 with 413 p*ing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.

In the Tide's matchup against Mississippi State, Tagovailoa led the team to a 35–7 lead (14-of-18, 256 p*ing yards, two touchdowns) before leaving the game after a sack that saw his knee driven into the ground, causing his hip to dislocate and fracturing the posterior wall, as well as suffering a broken nose and concussion. He was carted off the field and flown to a Birmingham hospital before undergoing surgery in Houston two days later.

In January 2020, Tagovailoa announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa finished his collegiate career as holder of numerous Alabama football records, as well as notable NCAA career records, including: p*ing yards per attempt (10.9), adjusted p*ing yards per attempt (12.7), p*ing efficiency rating (199.4), and total yards per play (9.8). He graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication studies in August 2020.

Statistics

Professional career

Tagovailoa was projected to be taken first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft until his season-ending injury led to LSU quarterback and 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow supplanting him as the draft's top prospect. Despite injury concerns, however, Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins. Tagovailoa was also the first left-handed quarterback to be drafted by an NFL team since Tim Tebow in 2010. As his college jersey number of 13 was retired by the Dolphins in honor of Dan Marino, Tagovailoa chose to wear number 1.

2020

See also: 2020 Miami Dolphins season

Tagovailoa signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $30 million, on May 11, 2020. He p*ed his physical with the team in July 2020 to begin training camp, but was named the backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick to start the season.

Tagovailoa made his debut appearance in a Week 6 game against the New York Jets, coming in relief of Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter of a 24–0 win where he threw two p*es for nine yards. His NFL appearance was the first for a left-handed quarterback since Kellen Moore in 2015. During the team's bye week, Tagovailoa was named the starter for their Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Rams. On Tagovailoa's first career p* attempt as a starter, he was strip sacked by Aaron Donald. Later in the game, Tagovailoa recorded his first career touchdown on a p* thrown to DeVante Parker. In Week 11 against the Denver Broncos, Tagovailoa threw for 83 yards and a touchdown before being replaced by Ryan Fitzpatrick early in the fourth quarter with the Broncos leading 20–10. Tagovailoa jammed his thumb in practice prior to a Week 12 game against the Jets and missed the game. He made his return in Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, where he threw for 296 yards and a touchdown during a 19–7 win. In Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Tagovailoa threw for 94 yards and a touchdown before being benched in favor of Fitzpatrick again in the fourth quarter. In Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills, needing a win for the Dolphins to qualify for the playoffs, Tagoavailoa threw for a career-high 361 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions as Miami lost 56–26. The Dolphins missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, and for the 17th time in the 21 seasons since the retirement of Dan Marino.

2021

See also: 2021 Miami Dolphins season

Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to a Week 1 win over the rival Patriots. During Week 2 against the Buffalo Bills, Tagovailoa suffered a rib injury early in the game, and was carted off the field on a motorized stretcher, not returning in that game. Tagovailoa was later ruled out for the Dolphins Week 3 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders, as it was revealed that he had fractured several ribs. He was then placed on injured reserve on September 25, 2021, and would return from injury in Week 6 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London. In his first game in nearly a month, Tagovailoa completed 33 of 47 p*es for 329 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in a 23–20 loss to the Jaguars, dropping the Dolphins' record to 1–5. The Dolphins lost two additional games to the Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills to drop their record to 1−7. The following week, Tagovailoa missed the Dolphins' Week 9 game against the Houston Texans, as the Dolphins won 17−9.

In their next game against the Baltimore Ravens, Tagovailoa came off the bench to energize the Dolphins, completing 8 of 13 p*es for a 158 yards and a rushing touchdown, resulting in an upset 22−10 victory. Tagovailoa used the win to catapult a turnaround in his and his team's fortunes. The following week set the tone for the rest of the season, as he completed 27 of 33 p*es for 273 yards, 2 touchdowns and an interception as the Dolphins beat the New York Jets 24−17. He led the team to its first 7-game winning streak since 1985. During their 20−9 victory over the New York Giants in Week 13, he became the first Dolphins quarterback since Dan Marino in 1994 to throw at least 21 completions in the first half of a game. In Week 17 against the Tennessee *ans, Tagovailoa and the Dolphins were blown out 34−3 by the Tennessee *ans. Following their loss, and with the Los Angeles Chargers defeating the Denver Broncos, the Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth consecutive year, and 18th time in 20 seasons. In the final game of the 2021 season, Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to another win over the rival Patriots, making him 3−0 against Bill Belichick and the Patriots in his career.

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Taulia Tagovailoa at Maryland in 2021

Tagovailoa graduated early from Saint Louis School and moved with his family to Alabaster, Alabama after his commitment to Alabama. Tagovailoa is a Christian. Although he is predominantly right-handed, his father trained him to throw the ball with his left hand as a child, because he wanted a left-handed son. As of 2021, he is the only starting left-handed quarterback in the NFL.

His younger brother, Taulia Tagovailoa, is a college football quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins. He transferred there in 2020 after spending a year as Tua's backup at Alabama in 2019. Tagovailoa's cousins also play football: Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa plays on the defensive line at Notre Dame while Adam Amosa-Tagovailoa played on the offensive line at Navy.

Philanthropy

In February 2021, Tagovailoa announced the establishment of the Tua Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the support of youth initiatives, health and wellness, and other charitable causes. The foundation focuses its efforts in communities that have had the most prominent impact on Tua including Hawaii, Alabama, and Miami.

In recognition of the foundation launch, three grants of $16,667 (totaling $50,000) were awarded on February 4 to the Police Athletic League of North Miami, Big Oak Ranch in Springville, Alabama, and the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in Honolulu.

In June 2020, Tagovailoa announced the establishment of a $300,000 scholarship endowment to benefit his high school, Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

The Tua Foundation hosted its inaugural fundraising event in August 2021, raising $93,000 for the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch to cover funeral expenses for the eight juveniles, ages 4–17, that were lost in a devastating car crash, and also counseling expenses to the girls of the ranch that lost loved ones.

Notes

References

External links

• Tua Tagovailoa on Twitter
• Miami Dolphins bio
• Alabama Crimson Tide bio
• Tua Foundation website