Nick Saban on the 1 thing Tua Tagovailoa needs to learn in the NFL
By SDS Staff
Published:
Former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa’s first week as a Miami Dolphin is wrapping up. After an abundance of leaks and rumors regarding Tagovailoa’s injury history and draft stock, Miami used its first pick in the 2020 draft on Tagovailoa. Nick Saban thinks the Dolphins made the right choice.
“I was really, really hopeful that Miami would take him,” Saban told Dolphins beat reporters on a recent teleconference, per the Miami Herald. “Tua’s such a great person. Really was a very, very good leader here. One of the most popular players that we’ve ever had with our fans and our fan base. I think he will be a great face of the organization there.
“I was just rooting for the guy. I felt so bad about him getting injured. Would those consequences of that injury affect his draft status dramatically? Probably as anxious as I ever was about a player getting drafted, so I was really excited about the fact that Miami ended up taking him. I think this is going to work out great. Tua’s a great player, and he’s going to be an even better person in the community and the organization.”
While the Dolphins ultimately decided that drafting Tagovailoa was worth the health risks, Saban referred to “preservation” as an area where Tagovailoa can still learn.
“No. 1 thing we’ve tried to convince him of here is he’s got to learn self-preservation is part of the job,” Saban added. “Tua’s a great competitor. You don’t want to take his competitive spirit away. He’s always trying to make a play, even when the play breaks down. And that’s good. He does it well. He’s made a ton of plays in those circumstances.
“But I still think there are times when there’s just nothing here. Several times when he got hurt here, I felt like there’s no reason for him to even get hit. The receiver fell down, whatever the circumstance was, there’s nothing there. Play the next play. Sometimes the other guys wins, but I think that’s probably No. 1. No. 2, he is so instinctive.”
Saturday Down South reports and comments on the news around the Southeastern Conference as well as larger college football topics.
