Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa of the University of Alabama entered this season as a favorite for the Heisman Trophy and a projected top pick in next spring’s NFL draft. A season-ending injury in a game last Saturday may have changed his prospects but not his attitude.
“Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes! God always has a plan,” Tagovailoa wrote on Twitter Saturday night, hours after he was injured.
He suffered a dislocated hip while being tackled during the game. Tagovailoa is known for his Christian faith. The eye black on each side of his face is shaped like a cross. His social media accounts quotes I Corinthians 2:9, which says, “‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived — the things God has prepared for those who love him.”
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He told CBN earlier this year that his foundation is “my faith and my family.”
“You know, my faith is what keeps me motivated when I can’t even stay motivated myself,” he said. “I’m just trying to play football, just trying to be able to take care of my family and be able to use my platform for the right reasons.”
Asked what he admires most about Jesus, he said, “The greatest gift that God could’ve ever given us was his son! It’s not just a matter of hearing what Jesus Christ is. It’s a matter of getting to know who Jesus Christ is! To really understand and really feel the identity of who you are because of things that He’s done. And I’d say you can only find your identity through Him, if you know Him.”
Videos posted on social media showed Tagovailoa playing the ukulele and even dancing (with his arms) to Kirk Franklin’s “Looking For You” in his hospital bed.
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice