History of Tua Tagovailoa in Timeline
"Tua Tagovailoa is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. In college, he led the Alabama Crimson Tide to a national championship in 2018 and won numerous awards, including the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards, in 2019."
1985: Seven-Game Winning Streak
In 1985, Tua Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to their first seven-game winning streak since 1985.
1992: Tagovailoa leads league in Passing Yards
With a league-leading 4,624 passing yards in the season, Tua Tagovailoa became the first Dolphins quarterback to achieve this since Dan Marino in 1992.
1994: First Half Passing Record
During a Week 13 game in 1994 against the New York Giants, Tagovailoa became the first Dolphins quarterback since Dan Marino to have at least 21 completions in the first half.
March 2, 1998: Birth
Tua Tagovailoa was born on March 2, 1998.
2000: Patriots Sweep
In 2000, Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to their first season sweep of the New England Patriots since 2000.
2010: Last Left-Handed Quarterback Drafted
Tim Tebow was the last left-handed quarterback to be drafted by an NFL team in 2010.
2011: Historic Comeback Win
In 2011, Tua Tagovailoa led the Dolphins to a 21-point comeback win against the Baltimore Ravens. Prior to that game, teams were 0-711 when trailing by at least 21 points in the fourth quarter since 2011.
2014: Heisman Trophy Winner at Saint Louis School
Marcus Mariota, who attended the same high school as Tagovailoa, Saint Louis School in Honolulu, won the Heisman Trophy in 2014.
2014: Death of Grandfather
Tua Tagovailoa's grandfather, Seu Tagovailoa, passed away in 2014. Seu was a significant inspiration in his life, and Tua briefly considered quitting football after his passing.
2016: All-American Bowl and Elite 11 Roster
In 2016, Tua Tagovailoa played in the All-American Bowl and threw for 2,669 yards with 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions during the regular season. He was also chosen for the Elite 11 roster, where he was named MVP.
2016: Playoff Berth
On January 9, the Dolphins clinched their first playoff berth since 2016.
January 2017: Enrolled at the University of Alabama
Tua Tagovailoa enrolled at the University of Alabama in January 2017 after receiving 17 offers to play college football.
2017: Backup Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa served as the backup quarterback to sophomore Jalen Hurts at Alabama during the 2017 season.
2017: Baker Mayfield Sets Passer Rating Record
Baker Mayfield set the previous NCAA FBS passer rating record of 198.9 in 2017.
January 8, 2018: College Football Playoff National Championship Game
On January 8, 2018, Tua Tagovailoa replaced Jalen Hurts in the second half of the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. He threw the game-winning touchdown pass in overtime to help Alabama defeat Georgia.
September 1, 2018: First Career Start
Tua Tagovailoa made his first career start in the season opener against Louisville on September 1, 2018.
2018: College Football Playoff National Championship
Tua Tagovailoa was named the Offensive MVP of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship during his freshman season at Alabama.
2019: Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards
As a sophomore, Tagovailoa won the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards on his way to an appearance in the 2019 National Championship.
2019: Taulia Tagovailoa backs up Tua at Alabama
In 2019, Tua Tagovailoa played college football at Alabama with his younger brother, Taulia, as his backup.
2019: Joe Burrow Wins Heisman Trophy
LSU quarterback Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy in 2019.
2019: Set NCAA FBS Passer Rating Record
Tua Tagovailoa set the NCAA FBS passer rating record with 199.4 in 2019.
January 2020: Declared for the NFL Draft
In January 2020, Tagovailoa announced that he would forgo his senior year and enter the 2020 NFL draft.
May 11, 2020: Signed Rookie Contract
Tua Tagovailoa signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $30 million, on May 11, 2020.
June 2020: Tagovailoa creates a scholarship endowment
Tua Tagovailoa announced a $300,000 scholarship endowment in June 2020 to benefit his high school, Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii.
July 2020: Passed Physical, Named Backup Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa passed his physical with the Dolphins in July 2020 but was named the backup to Ryan Fitzpatrick to start the season.
August 2020: Graduated from the University of Alabama
Tua Tagovailoa graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of Alabama in August 2020.
2020: Taulia Tagovailoa transfers to Maryland
Tua Tagovailoa's younger brother, Taulia, transferred to the University of Maryland to play college football in 2020, after a year as Tua's backup at Alabama in 2019.
2020: Drafted by the Miami Dolphins
Despite injury concerns, Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft.
2020: Drafted by the Miami Dolphins
After his junior season was cut short by a hip injury, Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL draft.
February 2021: Tagovailoa establishes the Tua Foundation
In February 2021, Tua Tagovailoa established the Tua Foundation. This non-profit organization is dedicated to supporting youth initiatives, health and wellness, and other charitable causes in communities that have significantly impacted Tua, including Hawaii, Alabama, and Miami.
August 2021: The Tua Foundation's Inaugural Fundraiser
The Tua Foundation held its first fundraising event in August 2021, successfully raising $93,000 for the Tallapoosa County Girls Ranch. The funds were meant to cover funeral expenses for eight juveniles (aged 4-17) who tragically passed away in a car crash, as well as counseling services for the girls at the ranch who lost loved ones.
September 25, 2021: Rib Injury and Injured Reserve
On September 25, 2021, Tua Tagovailoa was placed on injured reserve due to fractured ribs he sustained during a Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills.
2021: Tagovailoa supports Samoa in Rugby World Cup
During the 2021 Rugby League World Cup, Tua Tagovailoa publicly showed his support for the Samoa national rugby league team, who went on to reach the final for the first time in their history.
2021: Miami Dolphins Starting Quarterback
In 2021, Tua Tagovailoa became the Miami Dolphins' primary starting quarterback.
2021: Playoff Elimination
The Dolphins were eliminated from playoff contention for the fifth straight year in 2021.
February 6, 2022: New Head Coach
On February 6, 2022, the Miami Dolphins hired Mike McDaniel as their new head coach. McDaniel expressed support for Tua Tagovailoa as his starting quarterback.
December 2022: Tagovailoa contemplates retirement
Following the 2022 NFL season, Tua Tagovailoa considered retirement due to the injuries he sustained during the season. He later revealed these thoughts in his first news conference since December 2022, which took place in March 2023.
2022: Tagovailoa marries Annah
Tua Tagovailoa married his wife, Annah, in 2022.
2022: Tagovailoa suffers concussions
Tua Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions during the 2022 NFL season, prompting him to take up jiu-jitsu the following year.
2022: Led the League in Passer Rating
Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passer rating in 2022.
March 20, 2023: Dolphins pick up Tagovailoa's fifth-year option
On March 20, 2023, the Miami Dolphins picked up the fifth-year option of Tagovailoa's contract. In his first news conference since December 2022, Tagovailoa revealed that he had contemplated retiring during the off-season due to injuries sustained in the 2022 season.
2023: Tagovailoa begins practicing Jiu-Jitsu
As a response to the concussions he suffered during the 2022 NFL season, Tua Tagovailoa began practicing jiu-jitsu in 2023.
2023: Pro Bowl Snub
Despite receiving the most fan votes, Tua Tagovailoa was not selected to the 2023 Pro Bowl.
2023: Led the League in Passing Yards
Tua Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2023 while helping the Dolphins qualify for the playoffs.
2023: NFL Top 100
Tua Tagovailoa was ranked 82nd by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2023.
January 3, 2024: Tagovailoa selected for his first Pro Bowl
On January 3, 2024, it was announced that Tua Tagovailoa had been selected to his first Pro Bowl. He was also named the starting quarterback for the AFC roster.