What happens with Tua Tagovailoa over the next several months will be much on the minds of Alabama football fans. Even those, not big NFL fans will pay close attention.
Alabama football fans are not ready to let go of Tua. He will continue to rehab in Tuscaloosa and work on finishing his degree. He will also have a long list of other important tasks. Crimson Tide fans will follow those ‘other’ tasks closely as their favorite Tide quarterback works his way to the NFL.
It is sometimes said there are two seasons for Alabama football fans – the actual football season and football recruiting. Which is not to suggest Alabama football fans are not also fans of other Crimson Tide sports and other teams, in numerous professional sports. Rather, it means Tide football is supreme for many Alabama football fans. It is possible, Tua Tagovailoa is so admired, his NFL quest and eventual NFL team will be a new, longtime passion for Alabama football fans.
First, though, Tua must recover from an injury that is serious for an athlete playing a contact sport. Tua suffered more than a dislocated hip. He also fractured his hip socket. Immediate good work by the Alabama football, medical and training staff at Davis – Wade Stadium, may have increased Tua’s NFL Draft value my millions of dollars. His hip was carefully, but quickly ‘reduced’ (think re-set) before he left Starkville. Doctors say doing so is a major ingredient in successful healing.
Tua had surgery in Houston two days later. After surgery, his medical team stated recovery is typically 3-4 months. Four months will be mid-March. The NFL Combine is in late February, just past three months but well before the four-month range for recovery. Tua will attend the Combine and go through the standard menu of medical tests. He will do interviews with teams. He is not expected to throw and most certainly will not run.
Hopefully, during March, at a later Pro Day in Tuscaloosa, he will be able to throw for NFL teams. The Draft is April 23-25. Prior to the Draft, Tua will have medical exams by NFL teams. Whether it is a few teams or several, Tua’s future durability and flexibility will be assessed. He has already said, he expects some limitation of rotation by the hip.
The bottom line is one or more teams will be willing to bet post-injury Tua will be close to pre-injury Tua. Even with the history of ankle injuries and knee strains, before the hip injury, Tua, not Joe Burrow, was going to be the first QB taken in the Draft.
Alabama football fans will not surprised if Tua is still selected in the top five picks of the Draft. Many of those fans will immediately switch their NFL alliance to Tua’s new team.