He is about to be three years removed from a serious hip injury that had people questioning if he would play football again.
Tua Tagovailoa battled through medical mishaps at Alabama to become a Southeastern Conference Champion, College Football Playoff National Champion, Heisman finalist, and a first-round pick. Before he enters his third season with the Miami Dolphins, Tagovailoa is as healthy as ever. His body looks stronger than what it did at Alabama, he has a coaching staff wired into him, and he has a cast of playmakers ready to do damage. Tagovailoa has the confidence to have the Dolphins shock the NFL, but some people refuse to buy into him being a successful quarterback. Ryan Smith, a former Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos, told CBS Sports HQ that Tagovailoa “just cannot be consistent.” He said he’s already under-throwing Tyreek Hill.
“He just cannot be consistent…he’s already under-throwing Tyreek Hill”@salaams_from_68 on not buying the hype around the Dolphins and QB Tua Tagovailoa. pic.twitter.com/eMtexnXk4q
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) May 30, 2022
“I am not buying the hype here,” Smith said about the Dolphins. “They did a good job of getting Terron Armstead and others to bolster the offensive line, but even in the clips coming out Tua is under-throwing Tyreek Hill. So one of two things has to happen. Is Tyreek Hill going to get upset and slow down or is Tua Tagovailoa going to find an enormous capacity to get the ball downfield? He makes big-time throws at times, but he was never asked to be a slice and dice quarterback at Alabama. You have to be that in the pros.”
RELATED: Patriots WR DeVante Parker has emphatic praise for Mac Jones
Since the one bad clip from the Dolphins, Miami has released several videos of Tagovailoa hitting receivers in stride.
In 2018, he sliced and diced defenses for 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns at Alabama.
He carried the school’s single-season passing marks before Mac Jones and Bryce Young. The native Hawaiian was having a monster year in 2019 with 2,840 yards passing and 33 touchdowns until a hip injury happened versus Mississippi State.
Tagovailoa can be an elite quarterback with playmakers, a good offensive line, and a strong coaching staff behind him.
He has all of this now and is looking forward to silencing critics in the fall.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
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.
