Learn more about Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa including his early life, college football career, NFL stats, awards, and latest updates.
Tuanigamanuolepola Donny “Tua” Tagovailoa is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL. He made his name as a college football player for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was named the Offensive MVP of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship as a freshman. In his sophomore year, Tagovailoa received the prestigious Maxwell and Walter Camp awards while leading Alabama to the 2019 National Championship game.
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Tua Tagovailoa: Early life and career
Tua Tagovailoa, born March 2, 1998 in ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, is the eldest of four children in a Samoan family. From a young age, Tagovailoa showed a passion for soccer and often slept with a soccer ball under his arm. His talent was evident early on, as by the age of eight he could throw the ball over 30 meters. His greatest inspiration was his grandfather Seu Tagovailoa, a respected figure in the Samoan community. Seu believed that Tua would become a soccer star and encouraged him to report on his progress after each game.
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Personal Information |
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Born |
March 2, 1998 (26 years) |
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Place of birth |
ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, USA |
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Height |
1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) |
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Weight |
102kg |
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Career information |
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Secondary school |
Saint Louis (Honolulu, Hawaii) |
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college |
Alabama (2017-2019) |
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NFL Draft |
2020 / Round: 1 / Tip: 5 |
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team |
Miami Dolphins (2020–present) |
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Roster status |
Active |
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Career highlights and awards |
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Pro Bowl |
2023 |
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NFL passing yards leader |
2023 |
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Leading NFL passer rating |
2022 |
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CFP National Champion |
2017 |
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CFP National Championship Game Offensive MVP |
2018 |
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Maxwell Prize |
2018 |
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Walter Camp Prize |
2018 |
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Sporting News College Football Player of the Year |
2018 |
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Polynesian Soccer Player of the Year (College) |
2018, 2019 |
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Consensus All-American |
2018 |
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SEC Offensive Player of the Year |
2018 |
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All-SEC First Team |
2018 |
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Second Team All-SEC |
2019 |
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Career NFL Stats (as of Week 2, 2024) |
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Pass attempts |
1,700 |
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Passing the exams |
1,136 |
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Degree of completion |
66.80% |
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Touchdowns–Interceptions (TD–INT) |
83–40 |
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Passing Yards |
13,122 |
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Passer Rating |
96.4 |
After Seus’ death in 2014, Tagovailoa considered quitting football, but decided to honor his grandfather by continuing to play. He was a standout player at Saint Louis School in Honolulu, throwing 33 touchdowns in his freshman season of college. His father disciplined him and motivated him to improve. In 2016, he participated in the All-American Bowl and was ranked as Hawaii’s top high school talent. With 17 scholarship offers, Tagovailoa eventually enrolled at the University of Alabama in 2017, where he became a standout player, earned numerous awards, and helped Alabama win the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.
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Tua Tagovailoa career statistics
Tagovailoa is praised for his accuracy and sense on long throws, although there are concerns about his arm strength. His game reading, agility in the pocket and ability to evade defenders have earned him the nickname “Spidey sense.” He is known for his outstanding run-pass option and has one of the fastest release times in the league. Here are his stats
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Regular season |
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Year |
team |
Games |
Passing by |
Rush |
Dismissed |
Mistake |
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gp |
gs |
Recommended. |
cmp |
at |
percent |
yds |
YES |
lng |
td |
int |
rtg |
at |
yds |
YES |
lng |
td |
sck |
scky |
smoke |
lost |
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2020 |
MIA |
10 |
9 |
6–3 |
186 |
290 |
64.1 |
1,814 |
6.3 |
35 |
11 |
5 |
87.1 |
36 |
109 |
3 |
17 |
3 |
20 |
136 |
1 |
1 |
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2021 |
MIA |
13 |
12 |
7–5 |
263 |
388 |
67.8 |
2,653 |
6.8 |
65 |
16 |
10 |
90.1 |
42 |
128 |
3 |
23 |
3 |
20 |
152 |
9 |
1 |
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2022 |
MIA |
13 |
13 |
8–5 |
259 |
400 |
64.8 |
3,548 |
8.9 |
84 |
25 |
8 |
105.5 |
23 |
70 |
3 |
18 |
0 |
21 |
163 |
6 |
1 |
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2023 |
MIA |
17 |
17 |
11–6 |
388 |
560 |
69.3 |
4,624 |
8.3 |
78 |
29 |
14 |
101.1 |
35 |
74 |
2.1 |
9 |
0 |
29 |
171 |
13 |
5 |
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2024 |
MIA |
2 |
2 |
1–1 |
40 |
62 |
64.5 |
483 |
7.8 |
80 |
2 |
3 |
78.9 |
3 |
28 |
14 |
11 |
0 |
4 |
25 |
0 |
0 |
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career |
55 |
53 |
33–20 |
1,136 |
1,700 |
66.8 |
13,122 |
7.7 |
84 |
83 |
40 |
96.4 |
139 |
409 |
2.9 |
23 |
6 |
94 |
647 |
29 |
8 |
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Postseason |
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Year |
team |
Games |
Passing by |
Rush |
Dismissed |
Mistake |
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gp |
gs |
Recommended. |
cmp |
at |
percent |
yds |
YES |
lng |
td |
int |
rtg |
at |
yds |
YES |
lng |
td |
sck |
scky |
smoke |
lost |
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2022 |
MIA |
0 |
0 |
— |
did not play due to injury |
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2023 |
MIA |
1 |
1 |
0–1 |
20 |
39 |
51.3 |
199 |
5.1 |
53 |
1 |
1 |
63.9 |
3 |
25 |
8.3 |
14 |
0 |
2 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
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career |
1 |
1 |
0–1 |
20 |
39 |
51.3 |
199 |
5.1 |
53 |
1 |
1 |
63.9 |
3 |
25 |
8.3 |
14 |
0 |
2 |
11 |
0 |
0 |
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However, his injury history is notable and he struggles when forced to improvise in the pocket. Under coach Mike McDaniel, Tagovailoa’s quickness has become a central factor in a Dolphins offense that emphasizes rhythm, timing and speedy receivers like Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
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Tua Tagovailoa Salary
Amid a wave of contract extensions for quarterbacks, the Miami Dolphins secured a new four-year deal with Tua Tagovailoa in July. This lucrative contract makes him one of the NFL’s top earners. The contract is worth up to $212 million, of which $167.2 million is guaranteed salary.
Under this contract, Tagovailoa will receive an average annual salary of $53.1 million and a signing bonus of $42 million.
