The story of Tua Tagovailoa is one that is far from over, but the opening chapters of his football career have been as compelling as a Homer epic. That’s why Fox Sports felt compelled to capitalize on Tagovailoa’s journey with its documentary “Tua”, which premieres this Sunday and Touchdown Alabama was able to obtain an early screening ahead of time.
The film details the early uprising of the legend of the lefty, from his days growing up in Hawaii all the way to his draft day. In between are a number of interviews from close family, past coaches, Fox Sports personalities and more.
But is the film a worthy starting point to the beginning of Tagovailoa’s NFL career?
Get your 🍿 ready…
Experience @Tua Tagovailoa's journey from @AlabamaFTBL to the @MiamiDolphins.
“TUA” premieres on Sunday, September 6 at 4:00 PM ET on FOX. pic.twitter.com/6aOLFcqge1
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) August 12, 2020
As a whole, the film is a solid introductory piece about the former Alabama quarterback for those unfamiliar with the history of Tagovailoa. Those who either fell on the outside of the coverage of his comeback from injury or from when he first burst onto the scene in the national title game against Georgia will likely find the entire film’s content compelling.
But those who are die-hard fans of Tagovailoa who feverishly followed his journey at Alabama won’t find anything too shocking when he puts on the crimson and white and beyond. However, a documentary like this is made to honor the story those die-hard fans fell in love with, and pass it on to the next group of people who will be swept off their feet with Tagovailoa’s story.
That being said, there is still a good amount of content Tagovailoa fans will find fascinating.
Tagovailoa’s upbringing on Hawaii along with the impact of his massive family on his life and football career takes up a good portion of the beginning of the film and is one of the strongest aspects of it. The way director Mitchell Hooper is able to capture the tightly woven family history to Tua’s on-field play is very well done.
Tagovailoa’s relationship with his grandfather Seu, and his involvement in Tua’s motivations on the field was one of the most touching parts of the film. It was also fun to see the process of choosing where to play college football from Tua’s own perspective but also from the rest of his family members.
Essentially everything to do with the Tagovailoa family as a whole was fantastic to see, especially the morals Tua’s father Galu and mother Diane have instilled on their son. There were multiple times throughout the film where Tua would look back to some wisdom or conversation his family bestowed on him to overcome the obstacles in his path.
By the time the documentary gets around to detailing the events following Tagovailoa’s dislocated hip, there isn’t a ton of new information to be learned since the recovery was one of the most covered events in college football. Yet seeing how Tagovailoa was processing his rehab with the help of his family and quarterback guru Trent Dilfer, was a helpful thread to add-in.
Overall the film is a well-made pilot of the series to come that is the NFL career of Tua Tagovailoa and will surely make the southpaw even more beloved in the public eye and demonstrate the immense bond Tagovailoa has with faith, family and football.
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
