In an attempt to deal with the concussions that spoiled his 2022 NFL season, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa used offseason training to become bigger and stronger and jiu jitsu lessons to learn how to fall safely.
But the former Alabama All-American’s transformation since the end of the 2022 season also included a tattoo.
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During a press conference on Wednesday after the Dolphins’ first practice of training camp, Tagovailoa talked about the significance of his new body art.
“It’s something that falls off a piece that I had earlier this year,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s a piece that represents my first child. There’s a lot of things that go on behind it, a lot of cultural significance, a lot of things that has to do with protection, guidance, sort of things like that that we believe in the Samoan culture, so that’s what it is.
“And then we implemented this piece (on the left wrist) that I already had with this, so it’s almost like when you pray you take it off. It kind of has the sense of you’re taking part of the tribal out of this side.”
Tagovailoa’s new tattoo runs from his shoulder to his wrist on his right arm.
“This was about three sessions,” Tagovailoa said. “Took about two-and-a-half days. Took about two full days and then a half day. A lot of detail.”
Tagovailoa started his fourth NFL training camp this week. The Dolphins are working toward their 2023 season-opener on Sept. 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers. Between now and then, Miami has preseason games against the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 11, Houston Texans on Aug. 19 and Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 26.
In 2022, when Tagovailoa led the NFL in passing-efficiency rating, Miami had an 8-3 record with a healthy Tagovailoa and a 1-6 mark in the games that he missed or sustained a concussion.
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Tagovailoa missed the Dolphins’ final two regular-season games and a 34-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC playoffs after entering the NFL’s concussion protocol on Dec. 26, the day after a 26-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers that featured the quarterback throwing three interceptions in the fourth quarter.
Tagovailoa also missed two games after leaving in the first half of a 27-15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 29 with a concussion. In that game, Tagovailoa left the field on a stretcher and went to University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa leaves the field after the first practice of training camp on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, in Miami Gardens, Fla.(Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.