South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
Dolphins just want Tua to be himself
Tua Tagovailoa has heard all the noise.
The “Tank for Tua” phrase, which brought interest from NFL teams like the Miami Dolphins, soon after he came off the bench to lead Alabama to a national championship as a true freshman. Howhistwointerceptions showedhisflawsanddidn’t helpAlabamaintheir pursuit for back-to-back titles after falling to Clemson as a sophomore.
He’s too short. His arm isn’t strong enough. How his gruesome hip injury and other ailments to his hand and ankles left the presumption that he’s injury prone and affected his NFL draft stock. How fellow rookie quarterbacks JoeBurrow and Justin Herbert are already starting and off with their NFL careers.
All of that noise may not completely fade into the background when Tagovailoa takes the Hard Rock Stadium field on Sunday in his first NFL start against theLos Angeles Rams.
But it reminds Tagovailoa, the Dolphins’next franchise quarterback, of the arduousroadhetook to get to this point as the new path of his NFL career begins to take shape in South Florida.
“Well, it’s definitely been a journey,” Tagovailoa said. “I definitely think of that injury, when I got hurt, and then the process leading up to being able towalk, being able todofootball drillsandjustdo things in general.
“I definitely do reflect on that process that I went through. I’m definitely blessed to be able to still be here and play the game that I grewup dreaming to play.”
Tagovailoa has charisma that could captivate South Florida sports fans just like Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade and Hall of Famer DanMarino have in the region for the past 37 years.
Tagovailoa has the talent to help forgivetheprevious21startingquarterbacks that have come and gone (although 16-year veteran Ryan Fitzpatrickremainsasabackupand mentorfortherookie) sinceMarino retiredafter the 1999NFLseason.
Andwhile theweight of the situation may seem a bit overwhelming forany player, the youngcoach also tasked with turning an NFL franchise and football area like South Florida around has some simple advice.
Just be yourself. Be authentic. Try to string some plays together. And lead.
“He’s a young player, so he’s got a lot to learn, but he’s a sponge and he’s willing to learn and wants to get better,” said secondyear Dolphins coach Brian Flores of Tagovailoa, the quarterback centered around the franchise’s extensive rebuild in Miami.
“Normallywhenyouhave those, that type of character, you can improve over the course of your career. Hopefully we’ll start that on Sunday.”
Flores, general manager Chris GrierandownerSteveRossbelieve Tagovailoa, the player they were able to select with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL draft, can help the Dolphins overcome an age of uninspiring football within the franchise.
Tagovailoa finished his electric college career with a 30-2 record at Alabama, completing nearly
70 percent of his passes with 87 touchdowns. He threwat least four
touchdownsin12games, a statistic that is even more mind blogging when you consider he threw just
11 interceptions in college. The Dolphins have not won a playoff game since 2000 and have only three playoff appearances since then. They have not won the AFC East since 2008. Their lastAFCchampionshipandSuper Bowlappearancewas in 1984. And they have not won a Super Bowl since 1972 and 1973.
Tagovailoa surely will not help the Dolphins achieve all those marks again by himself. But the Dolphins hope his talent can lead the team tonewheights.
TheDolphins appreciateTagovailoa’s athleticism, mobility and desire to improve, and loveTagovailoa’s intangibles fromhis leadership tohis smarts and competitive drive.
“Watching him for a couple years and finally getting to meet him, get to know him, find out what kind of person he really is ... we really liked Tua and felt very comfortable he’d be a fit here,” Grier said afterdraftingTagovailoa lastApril.
Tagovailoa’s first startmaycome at auniquetime, with theDolphins sitting second in the AFC East standings and eighth in the AFC playoff picture thanks to the start provided by Fitzpatrick through the first six games in 2020.
But the move to Tagovailoa signals anewage for the franchise. Securing a quarterbackwas at the top of the Dolphins’ priorities after Floreswas hired in Feb. 2019 to begin the overhaul. And seeing howhe performs, and struggles, is instrumental to the next steps in that process.
Tagovailoa begin his preparations for his first start by spending most of his time during the
Dolphins’ bye last week at the team’sDavie facility, watchingfilm, meeting with Dolphins coaches and cultivating his timing with some teammates.
“Tua, he’s cool, he’s comfortable in the pocket. When he’s in the huddle, he’s confident,” said starting offensive lineman JesseDavis.
“He looks good. He’s zipping the ball. Youcan tell he’s confident back there,” Dolphins cornerback Byron Jones said fromhis vantage point on defense.
“He’s a good kid. He does right. He comes towork each and every day. He leads in his own way,” added Dolphins safety Bobby McCain ofTagovailoa.
“He’s going to be a really good leader for us and he has been, and he’ll keep improving. He’ll keep getting better. Youcanjust seeeach and every day that he comes to workandthat’s all youcanask for.”
It’s Tua Time in Miami. And the Dolphins hopeTagovailoa can usher in a new age of excitement and success for the franchise.