Plenty of hype for rookie Tagovailoa’s NFL debut
Tua Tagovailoa is probably the most hyped college athlete not named Zion Williamson in a long time.
He participated in a network TV documentary about his life before his first NFL practice.
He has rookie year endorsement deals with Bose and Verizon.
His marketing agent, Ryan Williams, tells athletes to “be a brand, not a transaction” — and Tua has listened.
Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will make the first start of his pro career on Sunday. Despite the buzz, he said: ‘I’m not too big on the hype or whatnot.’
And yet — as the Dolphins’ QB1 took part in QB1 media responsibilities for the first time as a pro Wednesday — he insists he places substance over style.
“I think what helps for me is my family,” Tagovailoa said. “I’m not too big on the hype or whatnot.”
He wants to be a good son for Galu and Diane. He has teammates and coaches ready to keep him grounded.
And that’s great.
But it’s all about to get washed away in one of the most anticipated debuts in South Florida sports history.
Just 13,000 fans will get to attend Sunday’s Dolphins-Rams extravaganza, and the demand is through the roof. Just a handful of seats remained available from the box office as of mid-afternoon Wednesday.
The cheapest get-in on StubHub was over $100.
Can’t get a seat? That’s OK. The entire state of Florida — and a quarter of the country — will have access to the game on Fox.
The hype train has long left the station.
“It’s going to be a very exciting weekend for us and for Miami Dolphins nation,” center Ted Karras said.
Added tight end Adam Shaheen with a chuckle: “A couple of people have
reached out [to talk about Tagovailoa]. For the most part, my friends and family know not to reach out too much to me. I’m not going to give them too much.”
The Dolphins have done all they’ve can to keep the circus at bay. They shielded him from media attention for the first six weeks of the season. Brian Flores is a no-frills kind of coach.
Plus even franchise quarterbacks “get joked on,” Tagovailoa said, adding that “I don’t think anybody here in this organization can get too caught up in the hype.”
Flores’ advice to Tagovailoa on how to comport himself?
“I think he’s just being himself, which is what we try to tell all of the players,” he responded. “Be yourself. Don’t try to be somebody you’re not. Just try to be authentic. I think that’s another thing that’s important to the position, really any position. Just be yourself, be authentic.” Message received. Tagovailoa said he’s going to “be the same Tua I’ve always been. I don’t have to go out, yelling at
guys. That’s just not how I lead. I’m just going to be me.”
It was more than enough at Alabama, where his arm carried the Crimson Tide in the national championship game as a freshman.
Tagovailoa was a great college player, in part, because he’s a diligent worker.
He gave himself off one day for the bye. He spent the rest of the week at the team facility — watching film, working out, throwing to receivers to perfect
timing.
And while the enhanced speed of the game will probably be Tagovailoa’s biggest adjustment in the NFL, his biggest question will be — as it’s been for the past year — his health.
He has not taken a direct hit since severely injuring his hip last November.
“It’s been a long time coming, but that’s just the nature of the game,” Tagovailoa said. “I don’t know what the hip is going to feel like. Every hit is dif
ferent. I don’t think you can every prepare for hits. It’s something you have to go out and know is coming.”
Added Flores: “I think from a health standpoint, we feel good about where he is. He’s going to get hit in the game. We know that.”
In other words: It is what it is.
No need to hype it up.