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Alabama’s Crimson Tide was losing by thirteen points in the 2018 NCAA National Championship Game, and all hope seemed lost.
Enter Tua Tagovailoa, the Samoan backup quarterback, hailing from Hawaii. According to the LA Times, coach Nick Saban said of that moment, “We needed a spark.”
And Tagovailoa more than provided that spark, helping Alabama score 26 points for the comeback miracle win. And, according to The Undefeated, “(Tagovailoa) went 14-of-24 for 166 yards with three touchdowns, including the game-winning 41-yarder, and one interception.”
Coach Saban, as a result of that win, now has six national titles. The only other college coach to do so is Bear Bryant.
Tua joins a football family dynasty with his uncle, Fano Tagovailoa, having been one of the best quarterbacks in Samoa according to local coaches. And his brother, Taulia, is also shaping up to be a powerhouse QB, and is receiving offers from Alabama.
Sports Illustrated published an article on how his experiences shaped him. When he was young, he loved football so much that he slept with a football tucked beneath his arm like a teddy bear. Seu, his grandfather, encouraged his grandson to chase after his dreams. His support had Tua going over to his grandparents’ house after he played a game, to tell his grandfather all about how he played. When his grandfather passed away, he honored his memory by continuing to play football.
He joins other Pacific Islander football legends– such as the inspiring Jack Thompson, only the fifth Samoan-born player to reach the NFL, at the time, or Tagovailoa’s personal icon: Marcus Mariota. Tua Tagovailoa, alongside his family and community, credits God and a strong inner spiritual life for his accomplishments thus far.
He enters his sophomore year at Alabama as arguably the 2nd ranked quarterback in the nation.
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