Tua Tagovailoa, December 1, 2021
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Wednesday, December 1, 2021
QB Tua Tagovailoa
(Is there anything in particular you may have done growing up to really polish your ball placement and make sure you are putting the ball in a position where guys can run after the catch?) – “Yeah, I would say working out with my dad, that was imperative. Just everything I had to do had to be to his liking. If the ball placement wasn’t where it should have been, then we do it again and we do it until we get it right. That goes with footwork and all of that.”
(How is your finger feeling at this point?) – “My finger is good. There are still times where I hit a helmet or I hit someone’s hand or arm and I’ll feel it a little. But other than that, it’s good.”
(Like discomfort in gripping the ball or anything?) – “No.”
(How about your ribs?) – “My ribs are doing good too. I don’t really think about it as much anymore.”
(It looks like DT Christian Wilkins is trying to fire spitballs at you. It could be a distraction but you’ve pressed on through trade talks and injuries. What is it about your mental makeup that you’re able to set things aside?) – “Well, I think for me, the most important thing was the guys in the locker room. It wasn’t really the outside noise that was going around the building … You just can’t worry about them.”
(I guess this also shows how much fun you guys are having now and it’s a bit more loose. There’s not as much to worry about. Obviously the next opponent but now that there’s actually something to play for this season as opposed to just getting a win, how is everything feeling? What’s the difference there?) – “I mean like I said before, I think our guys – we’re still trying to find our rhythm and playing complementary football in all three phases of the game. I would also say we’re really close as a team. I haven’t done a lot of things off the field with many of my past teammates than I have this year with guys. I would say we’re really close. It’s really like a family, for sure.”
(Have you done the Waddle waddle yet?) – “What is that? The little bird thing? (laughter) I’ve never seen that or heard of that before. I didn’t know what that was. I thought it was a bird dance. (laughter) Maybe that’s the new dance for everyone.”
(I know winning helps but are you feeling like you’re in a very good place mentally with as well as you’re playing, your healthy at the moment, the team is winning. Is this as good as you’ve felt coming into work in a long time?) – “It always feels good winning but the thing we can’t do as a team is be satisfied with the win the previous week. That’s the game of football that we play. You enjoy it for that day, that night, come into work, learn from your mistakes and then you’re really moving forward from it. I would say if you can’t do that, it’s hard for you to stack together good days and really get a win at the end of the day or at the end of the week for your team.”
(A few minutes ago you were asked about ball placement and how you developed that skill as a youngster. What are some of the keys that you try to keep in mind relative to where exactly you’d like the ball to be on various passes?) – “It’s always dependent. If it’s man, you never want to put it behind them. You never want to put it on them. You always want to lead them. In zone, you’re really just trying to beat the defensive guys in spots when you’re throwing it. A lot of it has to do with timing. Really, the receivers in zone and in man, I feel like they’re our eyes as quarterbacks because they’re running to a spot where they want us to throw the ball. It gets hard when you’re looking in the front and trying to see who is in front of them and then try to look back at them and then try to make the throw. Sometimes you just never have enough time to do that, so you’re just trusting them.”
(On one of TE Durham Smythe’s quarterback sneaks that he did in the game, I noticed either your Mike call or you were pointing out something on the defense and you held it there for a while. How would you grade your acting performance on that play?) – “Yeah, an Oscar. Who do I talk to? (laughter)”
(How nice is it to have WR DeVante Parker back out there?) – “It’s good to have ‘DP’ back out there. He’s looked pretty good in practice today. To me, it didn’t look like he was limited in any of the reps, so that’s very encouraging to see.”
(We talked to Quarterbacks Coach Charlie Frye about your pocket presence and he mentioned some of it was taught and some of it is innate. I’m curious how you balance maybe feeling the pressure without looking down and getting flustered.) – “There’s times where I still look down at the rush, which isn’t good. For myself, I just try to maneuver my way to find guys because I’m not the tallest quarterback and we’ve got big guys and I’m trying to see through them and behind them and it gets hard. I just try to do my best to step up and maneuver my way so I can see the throwing lane and get these guys the ball.”
(How do you feel about the SEC Championship game and going up against No. 1 Georgia?) – “I know it’s going to be a tough game but Roll Tide forever. Roll Tide ‘til I die. Alumni. I can’t remember the last time Georgia beat us though. (laughter) Roll Tide.”
