Tua Tagovailoa Faces Crimson Tide Alumni: When quarterback Tua Tagovailoa takes the field for the Miami Dolphins against the New York Jets on the NFLs first Black Friday game, he’ll be up against two of Alabama’s finest pro alumni, linebacker C.J. Mosley and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Mosley boasts five Pro Bowl selections, and Williams earned first-team All-Pro honors last season.
Tagovailoa, one of the 69 former Alabama players in the 2023 NFL season, doesn’t expect any alumni-club favors when facing defensive players from the Crimson Tide.
“I dont think they take it easy,” Tagovailoa asserted. “Thats not the way we grew up practicing with each other when we were all in college during the same time, and I dont expect that as we play each other because Im not giving that to them.”
Mosley, a two-time consensus All-American and recipient of the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and Dick Butkus Awards in 2013, preceded Tagovailoa and Williams at Alabama.
Tagovailoa and Williams were teammates in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In 2018, Tagovailoa was a consensus All-American and Heisman Trophy runner-up, while Williams earned unanimous All-American honors and the Outland Trophy for the nations best interior lineman.
“Ive played against Quinnen,” Tagovailoa remarked. “I played against him, and I played with him. Very strong. Its tough. The thing that he likes to do is he likes to get one-on-one matchups. Thats really his game.
“Its not just him. Its their guys outside as well that make that defense go. All those guys, theyll have to be accounted for.”
The Dolphins secured a 20-13 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, while the Jets suffered a 32-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills. The short week leading up to their Friday clash included a holiday.
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“It is more challenging,” Tagovailoa acknowledged. “… Theres the science behind the 48-hour time window of practicing or not practicing, so its a lot of mental reps for all of us. I think well probably have one day of field practice to just run around and make sure everything is on point and on time. But outside of that, what makes these short weeks tough is a lot of these things are mental — more mental than physical.”
Despite being AFC East rivals, the Dolphins and Jets haven’t faced each other in almost two years for Tagovailoa. Concussions sidelined him for Miami’s games against the Jets last season.
“Yeah, it does,” Tagovailoa noted regarding familiarity with a division opponent aiding short-week preparation. “But for myself, it also doesnt because I wasnt able to play against this team last year for the two times that our team played them.
“Will they play us the way they did last year? Im not too sure. As weve watched the film, we can only assume what theyre going to be running. But if they come out with something different and want to put an umbrella over those two guys with Jaylen (Waddle) and Tyreek (Hill), so be it. We will have to adjust. And if not, then well play the game the way we see it.”
The Dolphins and Jets kick off at 2 p.m. CST Friday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with Prime Video televising the game.
Miami leads the AFC East at 7-3, but they’ve lost their past three road games. New York, with a 4-6 record, plans to start Tim Boyle as their third quarterback of the season.
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Our Reader’s Queries
Are Tua and Jalen hurts friends?
In a recent video by Inside the NFL and NFL Films, we get the inside scoop on what Hurts and Tagovailoa shared during their personal and team triumphs. It’s obvious that they’re still tight buddies and are constantly keeping watch over each other.
Why does Tua Tagovailoa have crosses on his face?
Following the victory against Tennessee, Franklin took to Twitter to praise Tua’s athletic prowess and open display of faith. He pointed out the cross-shaped eye black on Tua’s face as a powerful symbol of his devotion to Christ.
Does Tua Tagovailoa have a brother in college football?
Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger sibling of Alabama quarterback and current Miami Dolphins signal-caller Tua Tagovailoa, spent four years playing in Maryland under coach Mike Locksley after a brief stint with the Crimson Tide in 2019.
Who did Tua play for in high school?
Tagovailoa earned the 22nd spot overall and was hailed as the leading dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 247Sports Class. He attended Saint Louis School in Honolulu, the alma mater of former Oregon quarterback and 2014 Heisman Trophy recipient, Marcus Mariota.