Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is out for the season after having hip surgery last week, however he still traveled with his teammates to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the Iron Bowl on Saturday.
In fact, it was reported by Cecil Hurt that Tagovailoa counted against the Tide’s 70-player game day roster because the SEC did not give Bama an injury waiver allowing him to travel with the team and be on the sideline without being one of the players eligible to play. Head coach Nick Saban, though, clearly wanted his star quarterback in the locker room with the team.
Arriving to the stadium on crutches, Tagovailoa was interviewed by CBS’ Jamie Erdahl ahead of the rivalry contest against Auburn.
She first asked him how he was doing after the surgery.
“I’m feeling good,” Tagovailoa responded. “I mean, it’s a lot better than it was last week.”
He continued, “But, I can’t stress enough how appreciative me and my family are for the amount of love and support that we’ve been getting from the fans and just people worldwide. I also want to thank the doctors. They’ve done a tremendous job in helping me on my road to recovery.”
“At this point, I wish I could play today,” Tagovailoa added.
He then detailed that his recovery plan begins with six weeks of zero weight-bearing on his right hip. After that time period, he said, they will let him know what comes next.
Watch:
.@JamieErdahl caught up with Tua Tagovailoa at the Iron Bowl as he continues to recover from hip surgery. pic.twitter.com/IQ2NpaxQ09
— SEConCBS (@SEConCBS) November 30, 2019
Dr. Lyle Cain, Bama’s team orthopedic surgeon from Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Clinic at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, has previously said that Tagovailoa’s “prognosis is excellent” after the surgery, which the doctor called “successful.”
“[W]e expect him to make a full recovery,” Cain added.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
