Tua Tagovailoa has a long career ahead of him. The Alabama Crimson Tide star was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 2020 and made an impact in the games he played.
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Tagovailoa shined in high school football in Hawaii as well, and his highlight tape is incredibly impressive.
Tua Tagovailoa in High School
Tua Tagovailoa attended Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii, the same school Marcus Mariota played for. His mobility is what immediately jumps out at you. at times, he just looked impossible to stop. It is no wonder that Tagovailoa was highly regarded coming out of high school.
In two varsity seasons, Tua threw for 57 touchdowns and added another 11 scores on the ground. St. Louis won the state championship in his senior year, and it was clear the QB had multiple NCAA suitors.
Ultimately, Tagovailoa chose the Alabama Crimson Tide over schools like LSU and Oregon, and his upward momentum only continued from there.
Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
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Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played as a true freshman in a few regular-season games in 2017, but his big break came against Georgia in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. This would be the game that cemented his place in Alabama Football history.
After starter Jalen Hurts struggled, head coach, Nick Saban opted to use his backup after halftime, and it worked to perfection. Tua threw the game-winning touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith, won the offensive MVP, and the Crimson Tide dynasty continued.
Tua's stock only increased the next season. After he accumulated 3,966 passing yards and 43 more scores, he was named an All-American and the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. He set the FBS record for passer rating that year as well.
A hip injury ended his 2019 season prematurely, but even with all the uncertainty, Tagovailoa declared for the NFL Draft. He finished his Crimson Tide career with 87 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions, and he remains a Tuscaloosa legend.
Tua Tagovailoa in the NFL
Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
Tua was taken by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft. There may be a different Florida team in the Super Bowl this year, but the Dolphins made strides with Tagovailoa under center. He may not have been as good as Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert, but patience could pay off for the left-hander. It's also possible that a chaotic Miami Dolphins front office has led a lackluster beginning to Tua's NFL career. After bringing in Ryan Fitzpatrick to start in place to Tua, the Dolphins then decided to start the elder journeyman QB over their young star. Not to mention the allegations from former head coach Biran Flores that he was once bribed by Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who offered to pay him $100,000 for each loss during the 2019 season. Not great.
Ladies and gentlemen...@Tua is the real deal. #FinsUp | @MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/QqWvP5yiDN
— NFL (@NFL) November 9, 2020
Tua's family has college football experience, too. He has a cousin at Notre Dame, and his brother, Taulia, is the starting quarterback for Maryland.
The Tagovailoas have a deep connection to their home state, and Tua helped set up a scholarship endowment for Saint Louis School. It is always great to see a quarterback open to helping his fans off the field as well.
Tua Tagovailoa's injury nearly ended his budding career, but now that he is in the NFL, he has nowhere to go but up. His high school days should serve as a reminder of how dominant he can be.
