Alabama football fans don’t have to think about this now, but there was a time during the 2017 regular season when Tua Tagovailoa wanted to leave school.
Ultimately, he stayed and had one of the greatest plays that will forever live on in Crimson Tide folklore – nevertheless, watching Jalen Hurts run the offense throughout the year caused frustration to hit the rising sophomore.
In traveling back home to Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Tagovailoa shared his experience with a group of seventh and eighth grades on Thursday at his former intermediate school. According to a report from Hawaii News Now, the former five-star recruit spoke on the struggles of being a backup quarterback in Tuscaloosa and how he ‘wanted to leave’ if he was kept on the sidelines.
Multiple schools were vying for Tagovailoa’s services in the 2017 recruiting cycle, however, it was the University of Southern California that almost got its quarterback via the article.
Florida Atlantic head coach Lane Kiffin — ex-Crimson Tide offensive coordinator – initially sparked rumors of Tagovailoa transferring should he not play, and from his conversation with the youth the speculation was accurate.
“I called my dad and asked him if my offer to the University of Southern California was still available,” Tagovailoa told the crowd of seventh and eighth graders. “I wanted to leave. I told my dad I wanted to go to a school where I thought it’d be easier for me and wouldn’t challenge me so much.”
Perseverance and patience are two of the hardest traits to perform, especially when one is told how good they are on a daily basis. Reflecting on the story, it was Tagovailoa’s parents that navigated him into seeing the bigger picture and not allowing his emotions to derail him.
“Even throughout my football season, I wasn’t the starter,” Tagovailoa continued. “I wanted to leave the school. So, I told myself if I didn’t play in the last game, which was the national championship game, I would transfer out. If I gave in, I don’t think I would have seen the end blessing of where I am now.”
The blessing he’s referring to is not only being a national champion, but Tagovailoa has played his way into possibly being the starter next season.
A few news outlets have him as one of college football’s top signal callers in the coming fall, while the odds makers in Las Vegas have the former Elite 11 Most Valuable Player as a potential candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
Regardless of Kiffin’s rumor and some impatience from Tagovailoa, he shined on the biggest stage back in January and now has a chance to show that the hype around him is real.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
