Tua NFL Draft Plan: Join Cowboys - 'My Favorite Team' - As Dak Backup

Tua Tagovailoa's Old NFL Draft Plan: Join Dallas Cowboys - 'My Favorite Team' - As Dak Prescott Backup

FRISCO - Once upon a time, Tua Tagovailoa had a dream that did not involve his Miami Dolphins employer.

As a star QB at Alabama, he wanted to utilize his position in the 2020 NFL Draft to be selected by his favorite team ...

The same Dallas Cowboys bunch that he will oppose on Sunday.

“If you’re saying to me, if I can choose what team I want to play on, as far as my favorite team growing up, then I probably tell you the Cowboys,” Tagovailoa told NFL Network back before that draft.

And just like the Tua we've come to know after he ended up in Miami, Tagovailoa handled any hint of controversy that might come from that dream with aplomb.

“I’m not trying to bump (Dak Prescott) - I’ll learn under him,” Tagovailoa said.

Then then-21-year-old Hawaii native has since learned plenty. Like Dak, he is the trigger-man of a 10-4 team and an MVP candidate. And on Christmas Eve, he won't be "learning from'' Dak - he'll be trying to outdo him.

“It’s going to be cool," Tua said, "just being able to see The Star. Being able to see those guys in their jerseys ... Some of the guys that are playing, I used to watch them while I was in high school ... And now I get to play against some of the guys on their team. 

"That’ll be cool, but at the end of the day, I have a job and we want to go out there and beat them.''

Tua talked of growing up in Hawaii and watching "America's Team'' play prime-time games that would come on at 3 p.m.

"I come from a family that (were) big Cowboys fans,'' he said. "But not any more. Everyone is Dolphins fans. And then the ones who still support the Cowboys are probably not my family anyways!''

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And now "fandom'' turns to professionalism, as Tua is showing respect for the Cowboys just as he did to Dak three years ago.

“(Cowboys defensive coordinator) Dan Quinn has a done a great job,'' Tua said. "They’ve got really talented players up front, really talented players on the back end. We know what we’re going to have to do. We know what kind of game this is going to be. It’s going to be a hard-fought, physical 60-minute game and we’ll be ready come Sunday.”