Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, once played a crucial role in discouraging his brother, Taulia Tagovailoa, from transferring to Auburn University—a major competitor of the University of Alabama where Tua had achieved national championship glory in 2017. Initially, Taulia followed in his brother’s footsteps by joining Alabama, but his time there was limited as he was overshadowed by Tua and another future NFL quarterback, Mac Jones.
Ultimately, Taulia spent most of his college career at the University of Maryland, where he set a Big Ten record for passing yards during his final season. Before achieving this feat, Taulia had considered entering the NFL Draft and reportedly received an enticing $1.5 million offer to move to Auburn.
According to the upcoming book “The Price: What It Takes to Win in College Football’s Era of Chaos,” their father, Galu, supported Taulia’s move to Auburn and a return to the SEC. However, Tua was firmly against the idea of his brother joining a rival team, reportedly telling him, “We’re an Alabama family. You’re not going to Auburn,” as noted in an excerpt of the book published by CBS.
In an upcoming book, “The Price,” it’s reported that Auburn offered Taulia Tagovailoa $1.5 million. Tua stepped in and shut that down quick. #alabamafootball #rolltide #tauliatagovailoa pic.twitter.com/6yv1M79yw8
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) August 22, 2024
The book reveals that Maryland’s coach, Mike Locksley, and athletic director, Damon Evans, crafted a significant NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deal to convince Taulia to remain at Maryland. It’s suggested that Tua’s strong opposition played a significant role in influencing Taulia’s decision to stay.
Despite not being drafted this year, Taulia received a tryout from the Seattle Seahawks but was not signed. He later signed with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats in June.
