Tuanigamanuolepola Donny "Tua" Tagovailoa is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins in the NFL. He made his mark playing college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was named Offensive MVP of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship as a freshman. In his sophomore year, Tagovailoa earned the prestigious Maxwell and Walter Camp awards while leading Alabama to the 2019 National Championship game.
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Tua Tagovailoa Early Life and Career
Tua Tagovailoa, born in ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, on March 2, 1998 is the eldest of four children in a Samoan family. From a young age, Tagovailoa showed a passion for football, often sleeping with a football under his arm. His talent was evident early on, as he could throw the ball over 30 yards at the age of eight. His biggest inspiration was his grandfather, Seu Tagovailoa, a respected figure in the Samoan community. Seu believed Tua would become a football star and encouraged him to report on his progress after every game.
| Personal Information | |
| Born | March 2, 1998 (age 26) |
| Place of Birth | ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Weight | 225 lb (102 kg) |
| Career Information | |
| High School | Saint Louis (Honolulu, Hawaii) |
| College | Alabama (2017–2019) |
| NFL Draft | 2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 |
| Team | Miami Dolphins (2020–present) |
| Roster Status | Active |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
| Pro Bowl | 2023 |
| NFL Passing Yards Leader | 2023 |
| NFL Passer Rating Leader | 2022 |
| CFP National Champion | 2017 |
| CFP National Championship Game Offensive MVP | 2018 |
| Maxwell Award | 2018 |
| Walter Camp Award | 2018 |
| Sporting News College Football Player of the Year | 2018 |
| Polynesian Football Player of the Year (College) | 2018, 2019 |
| Consensus All-American | 2018 |
| SEC Offensive Player of the Year | 2018 |
| First-team All-SEC | 2018 |
| Second-team All-SEC | 2019 |
| Career NFL Statistics (as of Week 2, 2024) | |
| Passing Attempts | 1,700 |
| Passing Completions | 1,136 |
| Completion Percentage | 66.80% |
| Touchdowns–Interceptions (TD–INT) | 83–40 |
| Passing Yards | 13,122 |
| Passer Rating | 96.4 |
After Seu's death in 2014, Tagovailoa considered quitting football but decided to honor his grandfather by continuing to play. At Saint Louis School in Honolulu, he excelled, throwing for 33 touchdowns in his first varsity season. He was disciplined by his father, who motivated him to improve. In 2016, he participated in the All-American Bowl and was ranked as Hawaii's top high school prospect. With 17 college scholarship offers, Tagovailoa eventually enrolled at the University of Alabama in 2017, where he became a standout player, achieving numerous accolades and helping Alabama win the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.
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Tua Tagovailoa Career Stats
Tagovailoa is praised for his accuracy and touch on deep throws, despite concerns about his arm strength. His field awareness, pocket mobility, and ability to avoid defenders have earned him the nickname "Spidey-sense." Known for excelling in the run-pass option, he has one of the league's quickest release times. Here are his stats
| Regular season | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacked | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
| gp | gs | rec | cmp | att | pct | yds | y/a | lng | td | int | rtg | att | yds | y/a | lng | td | sck | scky | fum | lost | ||
| 2020 | MIA | 10 | 9 | 6–3 | 186 | 290 | 64.1 | 1,814 | 6.3 | 35 | 11 | 5 | 87.1 | 36 | 109 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 20 | 136 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | MIA | 13 | 12 | 7–5 | 263 | 388 | 67.8 | 2,653 | 6.8 | 65 | 16 | 10 | 90.1 | 42 | 128 | 3 | 23 | 3 | 20 | 152 | 9 | 1 |
| 2022 | MIA | 13 | 13 | 8–5 | 259 | 400 | 64.8 | 3,548 | 8.9 | 84 | 25 | 8 | 105.5 | 23 | 70 | 3 | 18 | 0 | 21 | 163 | 6 | 1 |
| 2023 | MIA | 17 | 17 | 11–6 | 388 | 560 | 69.3 | 4,624 | 8.3 | 78 | 29 | 14 | 101.1 | 35 | 74 | 2.1 | 9 | 0 | 29 | 171 | 13 | 5 |
| 2024 | MIA | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 40 | 62 | 64.5 | 483 | 7.8 | 80 | 2 | 3 | 78.9 | 3 | 28 | 14 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 55 | 53 | 33–20 | 1,136 | 1,700 | 66.8 | 13,122 | 7.7 | 84 | 83 | 40 | 96.4 | 139 | 409 | 2.9 | 23 | 6 | 94 | 647 | 29 | 8 | |
| Post Season | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacked | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
| gp | gs | rec | cmp | att | pct | yds | y/a | lng | td | int | rtg | att | yds | y/a | lng | td | sck | scky | fum | lost | ||
| 2022 | MIA | 0 | 0 | — | did not play due to injury | |||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | MIA | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 20 | 39 | 51.3 | 199 | 5.1 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 63.9 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 20 | 39 | 51.3 | 199 | 5.1 | 53 | 1 | 1 | 63.9 | 3 | 25 | 8.3 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | |
However, his injury history is notable, and he struggles when forced to improvise in the pocket. Under coach Mike McDaniel, Tagovailoa's quick processing has become central to the Dolphins' offense, which emphasizes rhythm, timing, and fast receivers like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
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Tua Tagovailoa Salary
In the midst of a recent wave of quarterback contract extensions, the Miami Dolphins locked in Tua Tagovailoa with a new four-year deal finalized in July. The lucrative agreement places him among the NFL's top earners, with the contract valued at up to $212 million, including $167.2 million in guaranteed money.
Under this deal, Tagovailoa will receive an average annual salary of $53.1 million, along with a $42 million signing bonus.
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