So many reasons have been created to appreciate Tua Tagovailoa and his family; however, another moment has now been added on top of those. Before his decision to turn professional and become the No. 5 overall pick of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL Draft, Tagovailoa was the crowned jewel at quarterback in the University of Alabama’s top-ranked signing class for 2017.
A five-star from Hawaii, he was viewed as “the most gifted passer” by everyone that coached him – including former Super Bowl winner Trent Dilfer. Tagovailoa drew comparisons to Steve Young, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson throughout his collegiate career, rescuing the Crimson Tide to a national championship as a freshman and leading it to a Southeastern Conference title in 2018. He set multiple school records – including being the program’s all-time leader for touchdown passes (87) and total scores (96). Tagovailoa’s was the school’s single-season holder for passing yards (3,966), touchdown passes (43) and scores responsible for (48) in 2018, en route to earning All-American honors and being a Heisman finalist.
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Injuries robbed Tide fans of seeing Tagovailoa at his highest potential, but it will always value him for what he brought.
As an alumnus of St. Louis High School in Hawaii, Tagovailoa has always been about his faith and where it stemmed from.
On Tuesday, he and his family announced the establishment of the Tagovailoa Family Scholarship Endowment that will provide educational opportunities for Hawaii kids.
Proud to announce the establishment of a Tagovailoa Family @StLouisHawaii Scholarship Endowment that will provide educational opportunities for Hawai’i kids. #crusaderstrong ?
— Tua. T ?? (@Tua) June 16, 2020
His “Ohana” started at home, but it would grow to his high school and then Tagovailoa took the mentality to Alabama where he changed the culture of Nick Saban and the institution.
It is going to be awesome to see him dominate in the pros, but the selfless individual that he is will provide more great things in his future.
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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.
