He coached talented players at the quarterback position at Alabama for 17 years, but Nick Saban first special distributor of the football for the Crimson Tide came in 2017.
Coach Saban took a chance on a native Hawaiian who amazed people at St. Louis High School and impressed Trent Dilfer at the Elite 11 quarterback competition. Tua Tagovailoa, a former five-star prospect, was an amazing signal-caller for the Crimson Tide.
He delivered Alabama to a College Football Playoff National Championship in 2017 as a freshman off the bench and changed the way we felt about the Tide from an offensive perspective.
Tagovailoa set passing records, became a Heisman Trophy finalist, and influenced the Tuscaloosa (Ala.) community the right way.
He is growing into becoming a successful quarterback in the National Football League with the Miami Dolphins; however,
Tagovailoa has not forgotten the man that gave him a chance to be special.
He honored Coach Saban in a presser for the Dolphins after hearing about his retirement.
Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa reacts to coach Nick Saban’s retirement. pic.twitter.com/LUiEZYHxgO
— David Furones (@DavidFurones_) January 11, 2024
“Honestly, I don’t know how he was able to find someone like me all the way in Hawaii,” Tagovailoa said about Saban.
“For me to have gotten that opportunity, I would not be here if I had not had that opportunity. We know how that journey went, but there is a lot of things he helped me with and I am grateful on and off the field. He will be missed. I know a lot of people are feeling … him retiring and what not, but until next year we will have to see what that looks like, and Roll Tide.”
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Tagavailoa has not talked to Saban since his Wednesday retirement announcement, but he remembers the lessons from him.
“He has a great perspective on coach to player relationships,” Tagovailoa said. “He really had a knack for putting players in the best position so they can be successful and build a resume strong enough so they could have a good future.”
Coach Saban position over 100 players at Alabama to the NFL Draft, including 40+ first-round picks.
Tagovailoa was one of the first-rounders, going at No. 5 overall to the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft.
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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.
