At only 6 feet and 217 lbs, Tua Tagovailoa was said to be the number one pick in the 2020 NFL draft as a quarterback until an incident occured in 2019. After suffering a severe hip injury during his junior year, Tagovailoa’s season was over. He broke many records at Alabama State University, and decided to forgo his senior year and take a chance on the draft. His hopes were low, but the Miami dolphins took a chance on him for the fifth pick of the draft.

Tua was born in Hawaii and raised by Samoan parents. His real name is Tuanigamanuolepola, but he is called Tua so announcers can actually pronounce his name. His father said Tua grew up with a passion for football and almost gave it up when his grandfather, who was his greatest inspiration, died. However, he kept playing in order to honor him. Tua played his heart out during his years at Alabama and was even a finalist for the Heisman Trophy as a left-handed quarterback despite being right-handed in other daily activities.

His persistency to continue to pursue football, even through his injuries, shows coaches his willingness to never give up. He showed his first appearance on the field since his hip injury at Alabama on game six against the Jets. He threw two passes for 9 yards and even though the moment was short lived, Tua was excited and ready to be back in action. After the game, Tua went to the 15 yard line, where he got injured. He relived this special moment and took it all in. He realized after all of his hard work, he finally made it to the big league.

The NFL sent a Tweet which made many NFL fans go crazy and become confused at the early start for the rookie. It was announced that Tua will start the next game after the coming up bye week. Tua finally has his chance to make up for lost time and to make his redemption shot.

Fans know Tua is the future of the Dolphins, but they didn’t expect his shot to come this soon. Tagovailoa has always been a goal-oriented, hard working quarterback, so knowing the type of player he is will be very promising to the Dolphins organization. He has been holding on to hope for a very long time, and now that his prayers have been answered, it’s time for him to become the star his father and grandfather always knew he would become.