All Dolphins

Tua and the Numbers Game

What number will Tua Tagovailoa wear with the Dolphins? Yes, that's a thing

Alain Poupart

Tua Tagovailoa has been a member of the Miami Dolphins for less than a day, but what jersey number he'll be wearing already has become a topic of conversation.

Tagovailoa, of course, wore number 13 during his brilliant career at the University of Alabama, which creates a problem as he moves to the NFL.

That's because the number 13 has been retired by the Miami Dolphins after it was worn by another quarterback, Dan Marino, on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The number was retired in September 2000 at a ceremony honoring Marino, who had retired six months earlier after a 17-year career with the Dolphins.

Marino, who currently serves as special advisor to the Dolphins Vice Chairman/President/CEO Tom Garfinkel, is such a legend in South Florida that his jersey number actually was also retired by the NBA's Miami Heat in 2015.

Tagovailoa was asked about Marino and his jersey number during a video conference call with South Florida reporters Thursday night.

“For me, I’m not too worried about what number I have," Tagovailoa said. "I understand number 13 is retired and it should be. Dan Marino, he’s the GOAT. He’s like the mayor out there, and I have much respect for him. Whatever number I’m given by that organization, if it’s 78 or 99, I’ll wear it. It doesn’t matter."

Marino's number is one of three retired by the Dolphins, along with 12 (Hall of Famer Bob Griese) and 39 (Hall of Famer Larry Csonka).

Quarterbacks need to wear numbers from 1-20 per NFL rules, and the numbers available to Tua based on the current Dolphins roster are 1, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10.

The other quarterbacks on the Dolphins roster wear 3 (Josh Rosen), 5 (Jake Rudock) and 14 (Ryan Fitzpatrick).

A Central Florida radio station website actually ran a story Friday asking whether the Dolphins should consider un-retiring Marino's number.

Yeah, that was a thing. And even though it's ridiculous to even dignify that with a reply, it's a clear no.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of All Dolphins and co-host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press, the Dolphins team website, and the Fan Nation Network (part of Sports Illustrated). In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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