“WUDDUP? Y’all like my jersey?”
That’s how rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wearing a Ryan Fitzpatrick jersey, entered Thursday’s press conference.
The 22-year-old star oozes positivity. His attitude is contagious. His charisma is undeniable. He has everything needed to be the star that the Miami Dolphins have desperately needed for decades.
Despite being a month away from the start of the season, it’s clear there’s already a tremendous amount of pressure on the former Alabama lefty.
Tagovailoa says the pressure hasn’t phased him.
“The best way to handle [the pressure], is to not pay attention to it…,” Tagovailoa said. “I understand that it’s there, but my main focus is to get in my playbook, and build relationships with the guys on the team.”
One player that Tua has already grown to appreciate, is veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
“To be behind a professional like [Fitzpatrick], it’s mind boggling how down to earth he is.”
Tagovailoa said that Fitzpatrick introduced him to his family over FaceTime and has been a huge help early on in his career.
“That saying goes true. It says ‘if you want to get somewhere fast, you go alone. But if you want to do it with a purpose you bring people with you,’” he said. “And I think Fitz has done a tremendous job at trying to shape and mold me.”
It may be too early to speculate whether Tua plays this season. In fact, there are some still questioning whether the season will even be able take place. Major League Baseball has had it’s fair share of coronavirus issues. The NBA, by incorporating their “bubble” has managed to keep players free of infection. As of now, there is no plan for the NFL to implement any sort of bubble of their own.
(Courtesy: Miami Dolphins)
The thought of a cancelled season bothers Tua because he knows what’s on the line, not just for himself, but for his teammates.
“It wouldn’t just be me who would be bummed, I think our whole team would be bummed…,” he said. “It’s been a dream for a lot of us to get an opportunity like this. And for a lot of the undrafted guys to get an opportunity, that’s going to mean something to them as well.”
The concern for teammates, the big smile and the uplifting mentality make it easy to see why Tua has been praised so heavily. Each teammate that is asked about him says nothing but the best of things about his character. FOX Sports went as far as to film a documentary about him, titled “TUA,” which will air in September.
But what about on the field? Aside from a few 10-second clips of Tua making some throws without pads on, we haven’t seen him play since his devastating hip injury last season. There is still a lot of unknowns in regards to how he will perform physically. We can’t say with certainty, at this moment, that his elite college talent will translate to the NFL and he will reach the insanely high standard that fans have already set for him.
But, he checks off all the boxes someone would want in a teammate. He is the perfect leader for this young team. There is nothing about him that would make me bet against him succeeding to the fullest of his potential. And you would have to be a cold person to root against this kid from Hawaii.
It looks like Miami found their star.