USA TODAY International Edition
Tua won’t flinch in face of uncertainty
The familiar question swirled for Tua Tagovailoa as yet another set of circumstances beyond his control further altered his plans.
It wasn’t enough that a season- ending injury and surgery had robbed him of the final games of his junior season at Alabama. The rehabilitation process also cost the quarterback a chance to compete at the NFL scouting combine in February.
The final apparent setback and potential threat to his draft stock came in the form of the COVID- 19 restrictions that forced the cancellation of predraft visits and Tagovailoa’s pro day.
Rather than asking “why” as many would have, Tagovailoa offered his typical response: “What’s next?”
“I would say that’s been my entire life: adversity. I’ve dealt with adversity for as long as I could remember,” Tagovailoa told USA TODAY Sports in an interview this week, just days before the NFL draft begins Thursday. “I had to deal with it in high school when my grandfather passed away. I had to deal with it in college my freshman year when my grandmother passed away.
“And then my sophomore year, I ended up getting injured with my knee and ankle, and then the following year, it was the same thing. … The biggest thing with adversity has been, ‘ What’s next? What can you do to better the situation and move forward from it?’ ”
Tagovailoa has endured a turbulent predraft process like none other. Even once he’s drafted, the lack of traditional offseason programs could further hamper his chances of instant NFL success. Tagovailoa remains undaunted. “With every bad comes a good,” he said.
This same mindset could go a long way toward ensuring a successful NFL career for the 6- 0, 217- pound Hawaii native.
Well before Tagovailoa’s camp produced a workout video to showcase his health, and before he was medically cleared to resume on- field work, former
NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer and longtime coach Ken Whisenhunt had the signal- caller in the classroom. They educated him on the nuances of the position, including film- study habits, directing a huddle, recognizing defensive coverages and changing plays at the line.
Once cleared for football action in March, Tagovailoa hit the field at Nashville’s Lipscomb Academy, where Dilfer is now head coach.
But because little is ever simple for Tagovailoa, he also dealt with the harrowing experience of surviving the deadly tornadoes that hit Nashville in March. The twisters damaged the apartment where the quarterback was staying, forcing him to move, and also totaled his car.
“He has never flinched,” Dilfer told USA TODAY Sports. “I think his faith is the No. 1 reason how he’s been able to do that. He doesn’t get caught up in narratives or what people are saying or even realities that ( his injuries) may have hurt his draft stock. All he focuses on is what he can do today.”
Tagovailoa attributes his world view to lessons learned from his family and close- knit community. He learned to embrace hard work, ground himself in his faith and count his blessings.
Meanwhile, Tagovailoa refuses to get frustrated over the notion that some teams could pass on him due to the questions about the long- term health of his hip and overall durability.
“If I’m the first pick or if I’m the last pick, whatever team takes a chance on me I’m grateful,” Tagovailoa said, “and whatever team decides to pick me, that’s the team I’m meant to go to. ... To be able to say my dream came true, not too many kids get that chance, man. I’ll be very blessed.”
Whether selected by a team with a veteran bridge quarterback in place or a squad that plans to start him from Day 1, Tagovailoa, like his fellow rookies- tobe, faces a steeper learning curves than usual because they will not immediately have in- person spring practices to help them learn their new systems and possibly might not even start training camp on time.
“It’s going to be difficult, there’s no question,” Whisenhunt told USA
TODAY Sports. “It’s going to be a lot like 2011 when they had the lockout and they didn’t come in until training camp. A lot of younger players struggled, and young players learn by getting reps, being on the field. ... But the thing I was impressed by Tua is his learning curve is very sharp. We went through a basic minicamp install, and I gave him a volume of information on what the install was, let him go back and digest it, and a day or two later, he did an install and did pretty well.”
A recent report from The Athletic put Tagovailoa in the spotlight again for his performance on the Wonderlic test, a 12minute, 50- question multiple- choice quiz that NFL teams use in part to measure a player’s comprehension and problem- solving ability. A person with knowledge of the test, speaking to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Tagovailoa’s lowest score, a 13, was from the quarterback’s sophomore year, and the other, a 19, came after he took the test at the combine without preparation.
Neither score reflects Tagovailoa’s capabilities, his coaches insist.
Said Whisenhunt, “With the Wonderlic sometimes, having taken it and being around them, it’s a tool that they’ve used for years and years, but some guys just have a feel for the game and can do things. I don’t think by any stretch of the imagination that he is challenged. Being able to process, being able to recall, he’s got that.”
One of Tagovailoa’s biggest challenges will involve developing improved prudence to ensure longevity. It’s not an impossible feat. But it will take discipline.
“My biggest source of confidence ( about Tagovailoa’s NFL prospects) is he has instinct, eyes and talent – that combination – like none other that I have seen, worked with or been around. It’s what makes him so special,” Dilfer said. “My biggest concern is he knows how talented he is and tries to do too much.”
Dilfer continued, “In a way, it’s heroic. It’s always about winning, winning that play. … It’s why he had two ankle procedures so he could play. It’s why he hobbled around in that LSU game when he should’ve been out of there two plays into the game. He literally is completely invested in winning that down. That’s all that matters to him. ... Sometimes, losing a down for the long- term good is the right decision.”
Tagovailoa smiled when asked about his ultra- aggressive style of play and Dilfer’s discretion- themed lessons. Such mental adjustments pose continued challenges. But Tagovailoa readily accepts them while adapting another mantra – this one learned from Dilfer and Whisenhunt.
“Embrace hard,” he said. “You’ve got to embrace hard. In order for everything to become easy, it must be hard first. That’s what their message to me has been.”
Even if he never previously used that exact terminology, such a mindset is nothing new for Tagovailoa. And that’s what fuels his confidence, and that of his mentors, that success lies in his future despite all of the challenges he has encountered thus far.
Because in Tagovailoa’s mind, his journey is always just as important – if not more important – than his destination.