Tua Tagovailoa flew down from the sky to rescue kitten from a tree
By Brian Miller
Yes, new Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is a superhero. He has a cape and rescues kittens from trees. He is, a football Superman.
No, Tua Tagovailoa has not played a single down for the Miami Dolphins. Not a single pass has been thrown at the NFL level and he has yet to don a jersey. Make no mistake though, Tagovailoa can do no wrong.
On Twitter, the lovefest is incredible. From memes to T-shirts announcing his arrival and pondering thoughts of what his highlight film will look like in 15 years when he has more Super Bowls than Tom Brady and has obliterated every one of Dan Marino’s records.
So while Tagovailoa can not fly without they use of plane or helicopter and while I am pretty certain if he wanted to he could climb a tree and rescue a kitten, the reality is that Tagovailoa represents far more than just a highly rated college quarterback. He represents hope.
The Dolphins have drafted four quarterbacks in the first round in their entire history. Bob Griese, Dan Marino, Ryan Tannehill, and Tagovailoa. Two of them are in the Hall of Fame.
For most of the fans, Tagovailoa is their quarterback. Far too young to remember Marino’s playing days. They are the generation that endured failed attempt after failed attempt to replace Marino. They are the ones who think Chad Pennington was the best QB since Marino.
Tagovailoa is who they are anchoring their hopes on. Rightfully so. Tagovailoa, if he can stay on the field, could be the elite quarterback that the Dolphins have been searching for. The thing is, Miami fans have made him a demi-God before he has even stepped on the field. They are pinning their hopes on one man. The reality is he doesn’t have to be elite, he just has to be far better than good.
Tua Tagovailoa isn’t going to swoop in and save kittens but he can most assuredly save a franchise from the demons that have held it at bay for more than a decade. What he needs to do most, however, is not let the fans get into his head. Sometimes, the overinflation of a player’s ego can be just as detrimental as belittling a player who wasn’t who you wanted to be drafted.
Tagovailoa needs to just be who he was in college. He needs the fire to compete and realize that there will be struggles from the start, far more than at Alabama. That is when we will know if is the next coming of Dan Marino or just another first-round drafted quarterback.