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Nearly a year since devastating hip injury, Tua Tagovailoa reflects on journey: ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever be my old self’
By Keith Farner
Published:
A few days following his best game as an NFL quarterback, and a few days before the one-year mark since the devastating hip injury last season, Tua Tagovailoa has taken some time to reflect on his journey.
In the immediate aftermath, there was cause for concern about his career future, but now Tagovailoa has already exceeded expectations to arrive, and excel, in the NFL.
Tagovailoa held a very candid press conference with reporters this week, and discussed the last year.
“Oh, man,” Tagovailoa said, per the Palm Beach Post. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be my old self. You know, because when something dramatic like that happens, it’s just a continuous process for me.”
Next Monday will mark one year since Tagovailoa’s hip was fractured while playing against Mississippi State, when he was was taken from Starkville, Miss., to a hospital for surgery.
The last year will be magnified this week because the Dolphins are set to play the Los Angeles Chargers, and Oregon’s Justin Herbert, who was taken one spot after Tagovailoa in this year’s NFL Draft.
“It’s been a journey,” Tagovailoa said. “Looking back at that whole process. Literally almost a year from now, we were making a decision to decide if I was going to be able to play again or not, so I’m just blessed to be here.”
Tagovailoa has also navigated his rookie season without all of the usual offseason events, like mini-camps and the preseason. He said everyone is learning on the fly. However, he made sure to note on Sunday after his second victory as starting quarterback, how coach Brian Flores took a chance on him in the draft. That’s why Tagovailoa wanted Flores to get the game ball on Sunday.
“For me, it was like ‘thank you’ for taking the shot on me,” Tagovailoa said. “Because, like I said, a year ago, who would have known? I could have had a season-ending injury, but the Miami Dolphins decided to take a chance on me. So … that was awesome.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
