Tua Tagovailoa won’t participate in drills during this week’s NFL Scouting Combine. However, it might not be long until scouts get to see the former Alabama quarterback in action.
Talking to reporters inside the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday, Tagovailoa stated that he plans to get full medical clearance from doctors on March 9 and should be “full go” for his individual pro day on April 9.
Tagovailoa dislocated his right hip during a game against Mississippi State in November. Earlier this month, he received a positive result from his three-month CT scan which revealed his hip fracture was healed. Reports indicated that Tagovailoa had good range of motion in the hip and should be able to return to football activities in March.
“This rehab process has been gradually getting up as far as workouts with what we’ve been doing,” Tagovailoa said. “Just strengthening all the parts around the hip. You know, the glute, the hamstring, the quad, just being ready for once March 9th hits and I’m cleared to go, I’ll be able to do everything.
“Mentally it's been a grind, but it's not something that's new to me. I’ve dealt with a hand injury, my left ankle, my right ankle. So I sort of knew what to expect going through this process, but it's definitely been a grind.”
Tagovailoa said he has been throwing “a good amount” while waiting for clearance from doctors. Alabama will hold its pro day on March 24, but it is unknown how much the left-hander will participate in the event given that his own pro day is scheduled for two weeks later. Tagovailoa is expected to work out for roughly 40 minutes during his April 9 pro day.
Tagovailoa said he spent nearly 10 hours at the hospital Monday performing pre-examinations. He laughed while providing a timeline of the day, stating he arrived at the hospital at 10 a.m. and didn’t leave until 7:49 p.m., “right in time for the informal and formal interviews.” When asked about his conversations with NFL teams, he said his plan is to continue to be himself.
“If I’m not the person for the organization, then I’m not the person,” Tagovailoa said. “I just feel like if I be myself going into the interviews, the right team will find me.”
Tagovailoa was also asked whether or not he would mind sitting out his first season if the team that drafted him wanted to mold him behind another quarterback. While he stated his desire to play as a competitor, he noted that learning off a veteran has its advantages as well.
“You look at a lot of the guys who are really good and a lot of the greats, they’ve been mentored by big-time quarterbacks as well and veteran quarterbacks,” Tagovailoa said. “"If a team needs me to go out there and start for them, I'll do that. But if they need me to sit behind and learn from him, I can't see what's wrong with that as well."
Assuming Tagovailoa continues to maintain positive momentum in his recovery, he appears set to be a high pick in this year’s NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a top-five selection with some analysts even slotting him as high as No. 3 behind LSU quarterback Joe Burrow and Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young.
Tagovailoa said he doesn’t pay too much attention to the added attention and projections, stating he probably wouldn’t even watch his interview from the day.
“For me, whatever team decides to pick me, I’d be grateful,” Tagovailoa said. “Whether it’s first or 32nd or 200th, I mean, I’d be grateful just to get picked.”
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Andrew Bone, of BamaInsider.com, is a real estate broker in the state of Alabama.
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