First Video of Tua Tagovailoa Throwing a Football Following Surgery Surfaces

Former Alabama quarterback is seen throwing a football for the first time since suffering a season-ending hip injury.
Alabama Athletics

Tua Tagovailoa is back throwing a football.

Late Thursday night, National Playmakers Academy posted two tweets including video of Tagovailoa, and his younger brother Taulia, throwing footballs to various receivers during organized passing drills. 

They appear to be in Nashville, which is where Tagovailoa was expected to start physically training for the 2020 NFL Draft.   

The posts were made by NPA account @BuckFitz

The former Alabama quarterback suffered a dislocated hip and posterior wall fracture against Mississippi State on Nov. 16, and had surgery two days later in Houston. The initial plan was for him to be on a partial weight-bearing recovery plan for six weeks, begin athletic activity again in three months, and be ready to start throwing again in the spring.

Approximately 10 days ago he was cleared for all football activities.

Tagovailoa was set to hold his own pro day on April 9, although it's uncertain if and when that may occur as the NFL has shutdown all official workouts for scouts. He didn’t participate in workouts at the NFL combine in Indianapolis, other than to meet with teams and undergo a physical exam. 

Tagovailoa finished his junior year with 2,840 passing yards and 33 touchdowns with a 71.4 completion percentage and a passer rating of 206.93.

Tagovailoa also had surgery on Oct. 20 to help his right high-ankle sprain suffered against Tennessee heal, the same procedure Tagovailoa underwent on his other ankle last December.

Tagovailoa came back 20 days later and threw for 418 yards and four touchdowns, with two turnovers, against LSU. He was considered a game-time decision for Mississippi State, but ended up starting.


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Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.