Tua Tagovailoa makes his much anticipated first NFL start on Sunday when the Miami Dolphins host the Los Angeles Rams.
The former Alabama quarterback has had a bye week and this week to prepare. The rookie Tagovailoa is in the pros now but he intends to keep his mindset the same as he has at all levels of football.
Tagovailoa isn’t going to try to be someone he isn’t.
“My leadership plan is just to be the same Tua I’ve always been,” Tagovailoa said in a quote transcribed by AL.com. “I don’t got to go out yelling at guys. That’s just not the way I lead. I’m just going to be me. How I am on the sidelines, how I am off the field is pretty much how I’m going to be on the field. There might be certain instances where we might get into it a little bit with receivers or the linemen. Everyone’s just so competitive here that that’s just the nature of how the game goes sometimes.”
This is encouraging to hear because the expectations in Miami are huge for Tagovailoa, who was selected with the fifth pick in the draft. Tagovailoa is the 22nd quarterback to start for the Dolphins after the legendary Dan Marino retired in 1999.
The one-time Heisman Trophy finalist saw his first pro action when he entered the Dolphins’ 24-0 shutout vs. the Jets for the final drive, completing both of his passes for 9 yards.
If not for sustaining a dislocated hip and posterior wall fracture in college, Tagovailoa could’ve been the first overall pick. Over a year later, Dolphins coach Brian Flores insists Tagovailoa is healthy and ready to go.
“I think from the health standpoint, we feel good about where he is,” Flores said in a quote transcribed by AL.com. “He’s going to get hit in the game. We know that. Actually, it’s something I hadn’t even though of until you just brought it up.”
