Tua Tagovailoa’s first NFL start went well, and he even found something enjoyable about the first hit.
On just his second snap of the game, Tagovailoa was sacked by star defensive lineman Aaron Donald and fumbled the ball away. The Rams promptly scored four plays later.
Aaron Donald is a monster @AaronDonald97 @RamsNFL
#LARvsMIA on FOX pic.twitter.com/008sKcNlY8
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) November 1, 2020
In spite of that, Tagovailoa indicated that he actually enjoyed taking the hit.
“I don’t know who it was that took me off my feet and bodyslammed me,” Tagovailoa said, via Cameron Wolfe of ESPN. “I’m not going to lie, I did enjoy getting hit that first time.”
Tagovailoa probably didn’t enjoy the fumble, but the sentiment makes sense. After all, this is a guy who had to work his way back from hip surgery in order to make his NFL debut. Taking the hit and getting up afterward was a big moment for him personally.
The rookie ended up going 12/22 for 93 yards and a touchdown in a 28-17 victory. Encouragingly, the fumble ended up being Tagovailoa’s only turnover of the day.
It’s pretty easy to see how much Tagovailoa’s NFL career means to him. That’s why he’ll relish every moment, even the big hits.
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