Tua Tagovailoa has admitted his tackling technique is “pretty bad” after risking another serious concussion by using his head to block an opponent.
The Miami Dolphins quarterback, who has an extensive history of head injuries, has only just returned from a concussion layoff, having been sidelined for five weeks after facing the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. It was his third concussion diagnosis in two years, but that didn’t stop him diving literally head-first into another reckless challenge on Monday against the Los Angeles Rams.
With just over 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter, Tagovailoa conceded possession to Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom with an errant pass intended for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. To make up for his mistake, the signal caller ran over to make the intercept, but was kneed in the side of the head for his troubles.
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NFL fans around the world winced as Tagovailoa crumpled to the turf, but after a quick check-up, the 26-year-old was given the green light to return to the fold. The incident occurred moments after an interview aired in which Tagovailoa insisted he didn’t want to become “the poster boy for concussions”.
After the game, which ended 23-15 to the Dolphins, Tagovailoa claimed he didn’t feel any “ill-effects” from the tackle, but did concede his form was all wrong. “I feel good, everything’s good,” he assured reporters.
“I went up to that dude who intercepted me [Rozeboom] and was like, ‘Dude you couldn’t have just run out of bounds? Like, you’ve seen me and I’ve seen you, and you wanted to just run me over’. But he told me after the game that there was no room, there was nowhere else to go… he’s got to do what he’s got to do to win games.
“I wasn’t planning on using my head [to tackle him],” he smiled. “I didn’t feel any ill-effects…,” adding a seven-word statement which said: “it was pretty bad tackling form though.”
By contrast, problems were immediately obvious after his collision with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin back in September. “From the second it happened, obviously [it was] not a good feeling,” Tagovailoa recalled. “I ended up making a decision that obviously everyone that has supported me – and everyone that doesn’t support me that has been looking and watching that game – would be like, ‘Dude, what are you doing?'”
After his latest injury, fans and pundits alike urged the Hawaii native to hang up his cleats. But according to the man himself, no medical experts have advised him to retire.
“They would just ask me how I felt about everything, and from there it was just testing, testing and continued questions. And it was sort of like, ‘Alright, here’s the information we have’,” Tagovailoa said. “If they were to tell me that I couldn’t play, I would have definitely taken that into consideration, but there were no talks like that.
“It never stuck in my mind that I was ever thinking of retiring. Whether the doctors told me that or not, it would’ve just been information for me. With what I was doing working out week-to-week, I’m in here everyday. It’s like a no-brainer, what I’m I working hard for then?”
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