Tua Tagovailoa – July 28, 2021
Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa
(What is this camp mean for you compared to last year’s camp?) – “This camp is different in many ways. We never had the media out here. We get to see each other face to face. We get to see some fans, some family. It’s a lot different. We get to be out here and actually go through practices. If I can recall last year, we were in the OTA-phase of conditioning. Right now, it feels good that we are getting right into football.”
(What about for you physically, the way you are feeling, and knowledge of the other players and the offense?) – “I think everyone feels good. I think everyone is ready to go. I think it’s really good that we got to come out and kind of brush up on the things we went over during the spring. We look forward to what tomorrow brings.”
(We saw a couple touchdowns, a couple picks. Can you assess some of your good and bad throws from today?) – “Yeah. I would say with the bad throws, a lot of miscommunication. On one of them, I think that’s definitely my fault. I was in a conundrum of throwing it up or coming back down to the back. Unfortunately, that’s how the cookie crumbled on that one. Its good that things like that happen right now. We can see it, go back into the film room, talk about it with our guys, the receivers, the tight ends and running backs and kind of get that fixed.”
(Having had that offseason working with your wide receivers, is there a noticeable difference in chemistry between you and them?) – “I would say I had a lot of them last year. A lot of the guys that are on this team, I had them last year. Not to say that being able to throw to them throughout the offseason didn’t help, but I would say just being able to get with them throughout OTAs, as well, helped.”
(Can you describe the energy of coming into the building, all being together in person? I was talking to some of the guys yesterday, this time last year there was so much uncertainty about the season and what was going to happen. Now, you guys get to all be together and talk about your goals as a team. Can you describe the vibe?) – Yeah, I mean coming in, we are very fortunate to have this new facility. Very excited that Mr. (Stephen) Ross invested so much into the football team. But I think just being able to see the guys, the camaraderie and being able to eat with them, sit down, talk with them. It’s so hard when you have to go back home after practice like this and you have to sit through a two-hour, two-and-a-half hour, three-hour meeting on Zoom. I don’t know if any of you guys can attest to doing a workout and then going back home and having to do a Zoom, but it’s pretty tough (laughter).”
(Near the end of practice we saw the long completion to WR Albert Wilson. A long, accurate deep ball. How do you feel about where you are right now in terms of the deep ball throw?) – I would say I am confidant with my deep throws. Really, it’s just getting everything down with the guys. Finding where guys are going to be, knowing how guys run certain routes, knowing their depth. Really that’s what we are trying to find out right now within these first couple days and brush up on those things.”
(For you here at training camp before week one, what are two things that you are really focusing on for yourself to get ready for the start of the season?) – “Two things? I would say there’s about three things. (laughter) I would say the film room, our walkthroughs and bringing what we got through the film room and the walkthroughs to practice. That’s really all I’m worried about right now.”
(Where you are physically and mentally, how would you compare that to day one of training camp last year?) – “Man, it’s so hard to remember. I feel like that’s been so long ago. But what I can say to that is how I feel now, I feel really good.”
(When you have the headset on in your ear, who’s calling plays?) – “Well, it’s a mixture of both George (Godsey) and ‘E’ (Eric Studesville). They’re both giving me the plays.”
(What’s that like? Do you know the who’s calling when? I’m sure you know the different voices by now.) “Yeah, they rotate throughout series and throughout periods as well.”
(Did you enjoy the split practices with two teams? What’s the benefit to that?) – “Well, I think there is a lot of benefit. Everyone gets a good amount of reps. You get to see both sides – what this side did, what this side did. You can learn from it.”
(What have you been telling WR Jaylen Waddle about this process when you see him around the facility?) – “Well, I wouldn’t say I’ve talked to him much about process, about how things like this work. I have talked to him a lot about our chemistry and what I expect from him, things I’m looking for and really things we’re looking for as a quarterback room towards the receivers.”
(Where would you say your chemistry is with WR Jaylen Waddle? Is it Tuscaloosa, Alabama yet?) – “I don’t know what the Tuscaloosa, Alabama chemistry is; but I would say to that, it’s a different playbook, it’s a different feel, a different environment for him. And for me, I’m still kind of getting acclimated. It’s hot here, guys. It’s hot. (laughter) So yeah, it’s just things that we’ve got to talk about and work through out here. We’ll look at it and go into the film room and kind of go over it.”
(Did you do anything fun during your time off?) – “Yeah, I actually took up golf. I took up golf, yeah. I’m not a good golfer but I love it. It’s fun but it gets frustrating.”
(What’s the best part of your golf game?) – “Maybe the first four holes. (laughter)”
(You mentioned the playbook. What’s something that you feel most comfortable with, that you know that you’re going to like about it? What has been put together by Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and others?) – “Well, I’d love to talk a lot about that but I’d love to kind of keep that on the low. I’m very excited about what we have in the playbook. I think a lot of the plays that we have in the playbook fit the skills of our guys that we have.”
(When you heard that it would be Co-Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs Eric Studesville and Co-Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends George Godsey together, what was your first reaction? Obviously you’ve spent a lot of time working with George the last year. What was that experience like?) – “Well, I wouldn’t say I don’t know George as much as I know ‘E’ (Eric Studesville) because I know both of them. I got to have both of them my first year. I think it’s really good. The knowledge that ‘E’ has and then the knowledge that George has as well, coming together, we’re all working together for the same thing.”
(What can you learn from QB Jacoby Brissett?) – “I can learn a lot. Jacoby has a lot of input within our meetings and then when we’re also talking about things, when we have break periods. He has really good input for us on kind of where to start, who to look at. You can take something from all of these old heads – with Jacoby and then for me also last year was with ‘Fitz’ (Ryan Fitzpatrick). It’s a continuing learning process for me.”
(I know earlier this offseason, some of the guys talked about hearing your voice louder in the huddle. How are you balancing trying to be more vocal and more assertive with your own kind of personal growth?) – “Just being able to talk to the guys and tell the guys not always what they want to hear but what they need to hear and how we need to kind of build on that, and where we need to be from there. After practice, I got to get everyone together and talked to the entire offense and just talked about our evaluation of the day – how we started, how we looked throughout the middle of practice and then how we finished. I think overall we did pretty good. Obviously there’s always going to be things we need to brush up on and clean up, but it’s the first day of camp.”
(Just the beat around the team with CB Xavien Howard requesting a trade last night. As a teammate, what are you saying to him and how are you handling it as a group?) – “Well for me, I support ‘X’ (Xavien Howard) with whatever decision he has. He’s helped our team tremendously throughout the years. I’ve only been on this team for one year and I’ve been able to see what he’s been able to do. But that’s not in my control. But I support him.”
(What are you most looking forward to now that camp is back?) – “I think one of the most exciting things is when everyone is on the same page. When you know where your guy is going to be, when the line knows what they’re supposed to do. That’s a great feeling, when everyone is working together to accomplish what we need to accomplish on that play.”
