Do Tua Tagovailoa's Comments Raise a Red Flag?

[JaguarCrazy2832]

4 hours ago, brownie man said:

No problem here

the kid faced adversity 

he ended up staying and got better for it 

this is everything Nick Saban is about 

look at Alvin Kamara he transferred out of Bama ended up being ROY

Saban runs the most competitive program in the last 20 years a lot of kids are going to have that go through their minds 

True but he was also drafted in the 5th round...Not exactly something Tua wants

[mission27]

On 5/18/2018 at 8:52 PM, Bullet Club said:

It's not the smartest thing he could've said but he's 19, I'd put very little stock in it.

This.  Very unfortunate comment, but look, the kid came back from a historic deficit to walkoff the National Championship Game in his first career game.  He's got all the tools and intangibles.  Gotta forgive a dumb and immature 

[pnies20]

Who cares he'll never be a meaningful starter in the NFL.

[brownie man]

1 hour ago, pnies20 said:

Who cares he'll never be a meaningful starter in the NFL.

You sure about that?

 

5 hours ago, JaguarCrazy2832 said:

True but he was also drafted in the 5th round...Not exactly something Tua wants

and Kamara went in the 3rd 

[BleedTheClock]

2 hours ago, pnies20 said:

Who cares he'll never be a meaningful starter in the NFL.

How do you know this? He's played like 40 collegiate snaps. And he was a highly touted recruit and lit up a very good Georgia defense as a freshman. I've seen plenty of people jump the gun on prospects before, but they usually play more than 9/10ths of a game in their freshman season before getting crapped on. And it's not like he's 5'8 or something. He's every bit as big as Baker Mayfield, who, as you know, went #1 overall. Nobody can say he's going to be anything right now and be correct.

[SteelKing728]

13 hours ago, Danger said:

It doesn't raise a red flag only because he isn't a very good prospect at all so far.

but he's better than Jalen Hurts. His only ability is running. He can't throw well at all.

[The Gnat]

Were he a top QB prospect in this years draft and it was 10 days before the draft, sure. It's a red flag then. Kid should learn to be a punt returner/slot WR really if he wants to get into the NFL, that might be easier for him to learn.

[MSURacerDT55]

On ‎5‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 3:50 PM, winitall said:

For those that do not know, Tua Tagovailoa was extremely close to transferring during last season.  That in itself should not be considered a red flag in this day and age.  QB's transfer all of the time in college football when they are not the starter.  However, a portion of his comments could be seen as a red flag.  

The comments: "I wanted to leave. I told my dad I wanted to go to a school where I thought it'd be easier for me and wouldn't challenge me so much."

To me, that comment could be a red flag and is something I would want to look into further as an NFL team.  What does he mean by "easier"?  The NFL is not easy and is going to be a challenge.  How is he going to handle that transition?  At the very least, it seems like something that could have been phrased better.  Now obviously he is only a true freshman and a lot can change but it's the offseason.

I figured since there isn't much else going on that this could cause some decent discussion.

Link to full comments: http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/23533961/quarterback-tua-tagovailoa-alabama-crimson-tide-quarterback-planned-transfer-play-championship-game

I mean, the adjustment is huge coming from dominating in Hawaii which isn't exactly known for football to basically an NFL team (they basically practice and prepare like one), You can't expect everyone to just fit in. The comments will only be a concern if he doesn't play as well as he did in the championship game, if he balls, all he would have to say is he had a tough adjustment period coming from where I'm from. And apparently he has adjusted well since he decided to stay and tough things out.

[Techbert]

There's some old school vs new school undercurrent here.

My advice is that old schoolers have to understand the world has changed and new schoolers should understand there is value in going old school. Thumbrules of behavior and attitude are different now, and they are also subject to change. At the end of the day you have to drill down into the individual player and not work in generalities.

[LaserFocus]

On 5/22/2018 at 12:46 PM, Techbert said:

There's some old school vs new school undercurrent here.

My advice is that old schoolers have to understand the world has changed and new schoolers should understand there is value in going old school. Thumbrules of behavior and attitude are different now, and they are also subject to change. At the end of the day you have to drill down into the individual player and not work in generalities.

Couldn't agree more about the individual player, we don't know him. However, one thing which will never change, is the fact most high achievers have to work incredibly hard to have the level of success and happiness many only wish for. It's a grind, and one of the many positive aspects of football which is rarely discussed, is the hard work and sacrifice necessary, and that's transferable to life outside the game.  There's nothing easy about success, and nobody is entitled to anything. We do live in an instant gratification society, and that can be a problem for younger people.

[sp6488]

Keep in mind this is his retelling of the story, with the ending being that he stayed.  This isn't a transcript of their conversation.

Why is that important?  Because I think he's likely telling the story in a way that is more dramatic, which is only natural.  I don't think it's a big deal at all.