Tua Tagovailoa is a superstar in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins, but the talented quarterback also keeps receipts on those who have disrespected him.
He is enjoying a four-year extension worth $212.4 million, but the former University of Alabama standout remembers life as a Dolphin before Mike McDaniel came into the picture. Brian Flores, a Bill Belichick disciple, took Tagovailoa at No. 5 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. Several rumors stated how he did not want Tagovailoa, but Miami’s front office did. Flores wanted Justin Herbert, who went to the Los Angeles Chargers, and he reminded Tagovailoa of this every chance he got. In his two years with Tagovailoa (2020-21), one could see Flores draining the joy, excitement, and life out of the native Hawaiian. The Dolphins brought in McDaniel in 2022 after his success with the San Francisco 49ers. One of the first interactions between him and Tagovailoa was via FaceTime. McDaniel assured his quarterback that he would make him into a superstar and it happened.
RELATED: Mac Jones shines in Jaguars’ preseason game as the starting quarterback
Tagovailoa had a huge third season with McDaniel, posting 3,548 passing yards and 25 touchdowns to eight interceptions in 2022.
He led the NFL in yards per pass attempt (8.9) and passer rating (105.5). Tagovailoa showed he could stay healthy in the following season, avoiding all head injuries in 2024. He led all quarterbacks in passing yards (4,624) while having a career-high 29 touchdown passes. Tagovailoa made his first-ever Pro Bowl and is excited to see what this season has to offer.
He was featured on the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz and explained the biggest difference between Flores and McDaniel.
Tagovailoa unloaded on his former coach.
“If you woke up every morning and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don’t belong, that you shouldn’t be here, that you haven’t earned this…
and then someone come and tells you, ‘You are the best fit for this…How you that make you feel?”
– @Tua describes the… pic.twitter.com/bBHI6IsVlj
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 19, 2024
“To put it in simplest terms, if you woke up every morning and I told you that you sucked at what you did, that you don’t belong doing what you do, that you should not be here, that this guy should be here, that you have not earned this right, but then you have somebody else come in and tell you that you are the best fit for this … like you are accurate, you are the best whatever, you are this, you are that, how would it make you feel listening to one or the other,” Tagovailoa said.
“You see what I’m saying. Regardless of what it is, the good or the bad, you hear it. You hear it more and more and you start to actually believe that. I don’t care who you are. You can be the president of the United States. If you have a terrible person telling you things you probably should not be hearing, you are going to start to believe that about yourself. And so, that is what sort of ending up happening.”
Tagovailoa said it has taken him two years to train himself out of the way of thinking that Flores had him in.
He is playing with joy and passion for the game again, and it is because McDaniel believes in him.
Tagovailoa is set to put in a marquee campaign for the Dolphins once the season starts.
*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 senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
