Tua Tagovailoa

Early life

Tagovailoa was born in ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, to Galu and Diane Tagovailoa, as the oldest of four children in a Samoan family. He was said to have grown up with an intense interest in football, with his parents noting that he slept with a football under his arm every night as a small child. During Pop Warner games when he was eight years old, when his peers could typically throw a football little more than 10 yards, he routinely threw passes of more than 30 yards.

As a child, his main inspiration was his grandfather Seu Tagovailoa. He was highly respected in the local Samoan community and was regularly addressed as "Chief Tagovailoa". Seu believed that Tagovailoa would eventually grow into a football star and he requested that he visit him after every game to report his progress. Tagovailoa briefly considered quitting the sport after Seu's death in 2014 until he and his father agreed that he could best honor him by continuing to play.

Tagovailoa attended Saint Louis School in Honolulu, the same school as 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, where Mariota served as a mentor to him when they were growing up in Hawaii. As a high school varsity player, Tagovailoa threw for 33 passing touchdowns during his first season with three interceptions and 2,583 passing yards. Tagovailoa said his father pressured him to perform in high school, and would beat him with a belt if he threw an interception. In 2016, Tagovailoa played in the All-American Bowl, and in his regular season threw for 2,669 passing yards with 27 passing touchdowns and seven interceptions. He was also chosen to be a part of the Elite 11 roster as one of the top high school quarterbacks in the nation, where he was named MVP of that roster. Throughout his career, fans and announcers alike had difficulty pronouncing Tagovailoa's name. He educated people on his culture by teaching them the correct pronunciation.

Tagovailoa was deemed a four-star recruit during the 2017 recruiting cycle and was ranked the top high school prospect in the state of Hawaii. He had 17 offers to play on a college football scholarship before eventually enrolling at the University of Alabama in January 2017. Tagovailoa likened Alabama's hospitality to Hawaii's when picking the school, and credits Alabama's church-going culture for making it feel more similar to his home state. Tagovailoa's 'pastor dad' also had a vision that he would go on to play at Alabama, despite the lack of recruitment out of Hawaii by the school.

College career

2017 season

As a true freshman, Tagovailoa was the backup to sophomore quarterback Jalen Hurts throughout the 2017 season. However, he received significant playing time due to a couple of blowout victories for the Crimson Tide. On September 9, he made his collegiate debut against Fresno State in a home game at Bryant–Denny Stadium. In the 41–10 victory, he finished 6-of-9 for 64 yards and his first career passing touchdown, which was a 16-yard pass to wide receiver Henry Ruggs. On September 23, in a 59–0 victory against Vanderbilt, he got more playing time and recorded 103 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. In the next game, against SEC West rival Ole Miss, he recorded his first collegiate rushing touchdown in a 66–3 victory. In the annual rivalry game against Tennessee, he finished with 134 passing yards, one passing touchdown, one interception, and one rushing touchdown in the 45–7 victory. On November 18, in a game against Mercer, he threw for three passing touchdowns in the 56–0 victory. On January 8, 2018, he replaced Hurts in the second half of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship due to ineffective play by Hurts. He threw the game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass in overtime to another true freshman, wide receiver DeVonta Smith as Alabama defeated Georgia, 26–23, claiming their 17th National Championship. He finished the game 14-of-24 for 166 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and one interception, along with 27 rushing yards on 12 attempts. Tagovailoa was named the Offensive MVP of the game. After winning the National Championship, Tagovailoa emphasized how important it was to him to make his home state of Hawaii proud of his success on the football field.

2018 season

On September 1, 2018, Tagovailoa made his first career start at the season's opening game, against Louisville, in Orlando, Florida. He finished 12-of-16, with 227 passing yards and two touchdowns in the 51–14 victory, before Jalen Hurts replaced him in the third quarter. During Alabama head coach Nick Saban's weekly Monday press conference following the victory, he announced Tagovailoa as the starter for the Crimson Tide's home opener against Arkansas State on September 8. In the 62–7 victory over Ole Miss, he was 11-of-15 for 191 passing yards and two touchdowns to go along with 47 rushing yards. He continued his efficient season against Texas A&M with 387 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown in the 45–23 victory. In a limited role against Louisiana, he was 8-of-8 passing for 128 passing yards and two passing touchdowns in the 56–14 victory. In the next game against Arkansas, he had more passing touchdowns than incompletions as he went 10-of-13 for 334 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in the 65–31 victory. Following the regular season, he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray, but he won the Walter Camp Award and Maxwell Award for 2018, both awarded to the top player in college football. While recovering from the high ankle sprain he suffered during the SEC Championship against Georgia, Tagovailoa put on a nearly flawless offensive performance against Oklahoma in the 2018 Orange Bowl (24-of-27 with 318 yards passing, four touchdowns and no interceptions) to lead the Tide to their fourth consecutive CFP National Championship appearance. He was also named Offensive MVP of that game. In the 2019 National Championship, Tagovailoa went 22-of-34 with 295 passing yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in a 44–16 loss to Clemson. He also set a new NCAA FBS passer rating record of 199.4 for the season, surpassing the record 198.9 set by Baker Mayfield in 2017.

2019 season

Tagovailoa began his junior season at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game with a victory against Duke in Atlanta. He finished 26-of-31 with 336 passing yards and four touchdowns before sitting out the fourth quarter. The second game of the season was a home opener victory against New Mexico State. Tagovailoa finished that game 16-of-24 with 227 passing yards and four total touchdowns before sitting out the fourth quarter. In his third game of the season, a victory against South Carolina, Tagovailoa finished 28-of-36 with 444 passing yards and five touchdowns. In the Tide's 49–7 victory against Southern Miss, Tagovailoa finished 17-of-21 with 293 passing yards and five touchdowns. In the Tide's fifth game, a victory against Ole Miss, Tagovailoa finished 26-of-36 with 418 passing yards and seven total touchdowns. In the Tide's 47–28 victory against Texas A&M, Tagovailoa finished 21-of-34 with 293 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.

Tagovailoa left the Tide's seventh game against Tennessee early in the second quarter after suffering a high ankle sprain. He underwent surgery to repair the ankle the following day, and did not play in the next game against Arkansas (a 48–7 victory led by quarterback Mac Jones). Tagovailoa returned three weeks post-surgery to play in the 46–41 loss to top-ranked LSU. Despite some struggles (a fumble and INT) in the first half of that game, Tagovailoa rebounded after halftime to finish 21-of-40 with 413 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.

In the Tide's matchup against Mississippi State, Tagovailoa led the team to a 35–7 lead (14-of-18, 256 passing yards, two touchdowns) before leaving the game after a sack that saw his knee driven into the ground, causing his hip to dislocate and fracturing the posterior wall of his acetabulum, as well as suffering a broken nose and concussion. He was carted off the field and flown to a Birmingham hospital before undergoing surgery in Houston two days later.

In January 2020, Tagovailoa announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL draft. Tagovailoa finished his collegiate career as holder of numerous Alabama football records, as well as notable NCAA career records, including: passing yards per attempt (10.9), adjusted passing yards per attempt (12.7), passing efficiency rating (199.4), and total yards per play (9.8). He graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication studies in August 2020.

Professional career

Miami Dolphins

Tagovailoa was projected to be taken first overall in the 2020 NFL draft until his season-ending injury led to LSU quarterback and 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow supplanting him as the draft's top prospect. Despite injury concerns, however, Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins. Tagovailoa was also the first left-handed quarterback to be drafted by an NFL team since Tim Tebow in 2010. Because his college jersey number of 13 was retired by the Dolphins in honor of Dan Marino, Tagovailoa chose to wear number 1.

Tagovailoa signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $30 million, on May 11, 2020. He passed his physical with the team in July 2020 to begin training camp, but was named the backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick to start the season.

Tagovailoa made his debut appearance in a Week 6 game against the New York Jets, coming in relief of Fitzpatrick in the fourth quarter of a 24–0 win where he threw two passes for nine yards. His NFL appearance was the first for a left-handed quarterback since Kellen Moore in 2015. During the team's bye week, Tagovailoa was named the starter for their Week 8 game against the Los Angeles Rams. On Tagovailoa's first career pass attempt as a starter, he was strip-sacked by Aaron Donald. Later in the game, Tagovailoa recorded his first career touchdown on a pass thrown to DeVante Parker. In Week 11 against the Denver Broncos, Tagovailoa threw for 83 yards and a touchdown before being replaced by Fitzpatrick early in the fourth quarter with the Broncos leading 20–10. Tagovailoa jammed his thumb in practice prior to a Week 12 game against the Jets and missed the game. He made his return in Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, where he threw for 296 yards and a touchdown during a 19–7 win. In Week 14 during a narrow 33–27 defeat against the Kansas City Chiefs, Tagovailoa eclipsed the 300 passing yard mark in the NFL for the first time by passing for 316 yards and two touchdowns, plus with an additional rushing touchdown. His performance earned him Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors for back-to-back weeks. In Week 16 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Tagovailoa threw for 94 yards and a touchdown before being benched in favor of Fitzpatrick again in the fourth quarter. In Week 17 against the Buffalo Bills, needing a win for the Dolphins to qualify for the playoffs, Tagovailoa threw for a career-high 361 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions as Miami lost 56–26. The Dolphins missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, and for the 17th time in the 21 seasons since the retirement of Dan Marino.

Atlanta Falcons

On March 13, 2026, Tagovailoa signed a one-year, $1.215 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons.

Career statistics

Career highlights

NFL

Pro Bowl (2023)

NFL passing yards leader (2023)

NFL passer rating leader (2022)

NFL completion percentage leader (2024)

2× Polynesian Professional Football Player of the Year (2022, 2023)

College

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)

2× Polynesian College Football Player of the Year (2018, 2019)

Consensus All-American (2018)

NCAA passer rating leader (2018)

SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2018)

First-team All-SEC (2018)

Second-team All-SEC (2019)

NCAA (FBS) record

Career passer rating: 199.4

Player profile

Tagovailoa has been noted for his throwing accuracy and touch, particularly in passes traveling over 20 yards in the air despite criticism of his arm strength. His awareness while scanning the field, avoiding defenders in the pocket and running have been highly touted, with one source endearingly calling it his "Spidey-sense" in reference to the superhero Spider-Man. In particular, Tagovailoa has been efficient in running the run-pass option, one of his strengths in college and early on in his professional career, and his time to throw and time to release are among the fastest in the league. However, his injury history has been extensive, and he has struggled when defenses keep him in the pocket for extended periods of time and force him to improvise.

During his tenure as Miami's head coach, Mike McDaniel utilized Tagovailoa's fast processing and decision-making skills as an integral part of the Dolphins' offense, which relied heavily on rhythm, timing, fast receivers such as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, and pre-snap assessment, aiding Tagovailoa's further development as a pocket passer.

Personal life

Tagovailoa graduated early from Saint Louis School and moved with his family to Alabaster, Alabama, after his commitment to play for the University of Alabama. Tagovailoa is an evangelical Christian. He has been married to his wife, Annah (née Gore), since 2022. They have two children; a son, and a daughter.

Although Tagovailoa is predominantly right-handed, his father trained him to throw the ball with his left hand as a child, because he wanted a left-handed son. As of the 2025 season, he is one of three starting left-handed quarterbacks currently in the NFL, alongside Michael Penix Jr. and Dillon Gabriel.

His younger brother, Taulia Tagovailoa, is currently a quarterback in the United Football League (UFL) for the Houston Gamblers and previously played in the CFL, ELF and IFL. He transferred to Maryland in 2020 after spending a year as Tagovailoa's backup at Alabama in 2019. Two of Tagovailoa's cousins also play football: Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa played on the defensive line on the Raiders; Adam Amosa-Tagovailoa played on the offensive line at Navy.

In 2023, Tagovailoa began practicing jiu-jitsu in response to the concussions he suffered in the 2022 NFL season.

Tagovailoa is a supporter of the Samoa national rugby league team, and publicly pledged his support to the team during the 2021 Rugby League World Cup where they made the Final for the first time.

In 2025, Tagovailoa was added to President Donald Trump's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. Although he was named to the council without his knowledge, Tagovailoa went on to call the nomination "an honor".

Philanthropy

In February 2021, Tagovailoa announced the establishment of the Tua Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the support of youth initiatives, health and wellness, and other charitable causes. The foundation focuses its efforts in communities that have had the most prominent impact on Tua including Hawaii, Alabama, and Miami. The board of directors is composed of Tua Tagovailoa, June Jones, Jesse Sapolu, Vai Sikahema, and Diane Tagovailoa.

In recognition of the foundation launch, three grants of $16,667 (totaling $50,000) were awarded on February 4 to the Police Athletic League of North Miami, Big Oak Ranch in Springville, Alabama, and the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame in Honolulu.

In June 2020, Tagovailoa announced the establishment of a $300,000 scholarship endowment to benefit his high school, Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi.

The Tua Foundation hosted its inaugural fundraising event in August 2021, raising $93,000 for the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch to cover funeral expenses for the eight juveniles, ages 4–17, that were lost in a devastating car crash, and also counseling expenses to the girls of the ranch that lost loved ones.

Hawaiian and Samoan culture

Tagovailoa identifies as "full Samoan" and "not Hawaiian" even though he is from Hawaii. In his youth, Tagovailoa looked up to Marcus Mariota, Timmy Chang, and Manti Te'o, three other football players from Hawaii.

On May 19, 2018, Tagovailoa returned to Hawaii after winning the National Championship game with Crimson Tide teammate and friend Najee Harris to be celebrated at the Hometown Hero Parade. To celebrate his accomplishments that year, Tagovailoa performed a traditional Samoan ceremonial dance called a taualuga, which is often performed as a "final" step in a monumental task. He wore traditional Samoan clothing, headwear, and shoes, and was accompanied by his friend and cousin. Money is thrown at the dancer, and Tagovailoa chose to donate this money to his hometown church and youth football program.

Tagovailoa enjoyed sharing his culture with his Alabama teammates, bringing his teammates Joshua Casher and Alex Leatherwood to explore Oahu's Polynesian Cultural Center's villages. He believed it was a "good experience for them (his teammates) to see a good mix of cultures", and after they remarked on how they could lead traditional Samoan chants before Alabama games.

In 2024, Tagovailoa collaborated with clothing brand Perry Ellis on a modern island life-themed line of clothing. He was inspired by aspects of his culture when designing the pieces and the clothing he grew up wearing. Tagovailoa commented on how clothing designs that were normal for his culture's everyday wear were pushing the boundaries of design for a company like Perry Ellis that typically sticks to more classic designs.