Former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was selected by the Miami Dolphins with the 5th overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft Thursday night.
Tagovailoa, one of the most popular players to suit up for the Crimson Tide in the Nick Saban era, learned about the news sitting alongside members of his family, who were with him at their home in Alabaster.
Tagovailoa’s college career began on the biggest possible stage when he took over for Jalen Hurts during halftime of the 2017-2018 national championship game. He led the Tide to a thrilling 26-23 overtime victory over the Georgia Bulldogs.
The following year, Tagovailoa’s only full season in Tuscaloosa, saw him lead the SEC in passing yards, completion percentage and passing touchdowns.
He exits college as the NCAA’s all-time leader in passing yards per attempt and passing efficiency rating.
The Hawaiian native’s 2019-2020 season ended early because of injury. He played in only nine games last season.
The consensus among experts was that Tagovailoa, had he remained healthy, would have gone first overall in this year’s draft.
The Dolphins, before Thursday’s draft, had Ryan Fitzpatrick slotted as their starting quarterback. Mel Kiper Jr., a draft analyst on ESPN, said it is likely that Tagovailoa will not start during his first season with the Dolphins.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95
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