Tua Tagovailoa’s emotional reaction to Henry Ruggs’ deadly car accident

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has had a really rough second NFL season. Broken ribs. A seven-game losing streak. The Dolphins’ pursuit of Deshaun Watson. And then on Tuesday, news that former Alabama teammate and close friend Henry Ruggs had been charged with killing a woman with his car while driving through Las Vegas drunk at speeds in excess of 150 mph. The Raiders cut Ruggs just hours after the news of the arrest was made public.

Tagovailoa addressed all of those heavy topics during his weekly news conference with South Florida media.

Tua Tagovailoa on Henry Ruggs’ fatal accident

Tagovailoa got choked up when asked his thoughts about Ruggs, who was his teammate at Alabama from 2017-2020.

“Yeah, that’s tough,” Tagovailoa said. “Obviously, my heart goes out to the families that have been affected by what had happened, the choices and decisions. My heart goes out to Henry, too, and his family. Obviously, it wasn’t the right choice or decision that he made at that time. I know he wishes he could have it back. But when I heard the news, that was tough for me to hear, just knowing the kind of person that Henry is.

“You never would think this guy could hurt a soul. When you see something like that, I’m still kind of in disbelief. Obviously, like I said, my heart goes out to the family that has been affected by it. But yeah, my heart also goes out to Henry.”

Tagovailoa on Deshaun Watson trade chatter

The Dolphins were so intent on acquiring Deshaun Watson — who would presumably replace Tagovailoa at quarterback — ahead of the trade deadline that owner Stephen Ross even requested permission to talk with him Monday night. None of that reflects well on the team’s confidence in Tua becoming a star.

And yet, he said he felt no added relief that the deadline passed with no trade consummated.

“My focus is really only been on the team that we’ve been playing, and then obviously, our team,” he said. “And my focus has been on what we can do better each and every day and throughout the week to hopefully get us a win.”

Tua continued, “I don’t think there’s really much to prove, but it’s always what can I do better and knowing my expectation for myself and kind of how I want to go out there and play — not really to anyone else’s expectations.”

Do Tua’s many critics fuel him?

Only one: His dad, Galu. “That would be the biggest person that I would kind of think of every time I go out and play,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s been like that my entire life. Good is never good enough. It’s always what can you continue to do to get better.”

Related | Week 9 NFL Power Rankings: Rams climb to top spot, Browns tumble, and the Saints win with Siemian

Tua added, “My Dad is a coach at heart. So he’s been coaching me all my life. He knows things I can do. He knows things I can’t do. If I try to make up an excuse, his line is, ‘I know you better than anyone else. Don’t tell me that.’ High expectations. High expectations from Dad.”

Tua on his broken ribs

The carbon fiber flak jacket that Tagovailoa has worn since returning from his rib injury is here to stay. “I don’t ever want to feel that again,” he said. “So I’m going to keep wearing it.” Tagovailoa added that his ribs “feel good” some six weeks after they broke.