Tua Tagovailoa looks to join 22 lefty quarterbacks who played in the NFL

Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama is looking to join the fraternity of lefty-throwing quarterbacks who played in the NFL.

Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa is destined to be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Crimson Tide lefty will join a select fraternity of lefties who played quarterback in the NFL.

Frankie Albert

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Frankie Albert was decades ahead of his time as a lefty QB. The Stanford product was drafted 10th overall by the Chicago Bears in 1942. He served four years in the Navy before becoming a San Francisco 49er. Albert played there through 1952. He also spent a season as a Calgary Stampeder. After his retirement, the 49ers hired him as a scout and coach. He became the head coach in 1956. He coached the 49ers for three seasons with a 19-16-1 record.

Drafts that saw a team select multiple players who became Hall of Famers

Drew Brees one day will join LaDainian Tomlinson in Canton. What other teams drafted multiple players in one year who went on to the HOF?

The Chicago Bears chose Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers, back-to-back no less, in the 1965 NFL Draft and wound up with a pair of Hall of Famers. The Chargers chose LaDainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees in the 2001 draft. When the Saints’ QB is done, he will surely join LT in Canton. Here are some of the teams fortunate to choose multiple players in one draft since 1960 that went on to Hall-of-Fame careers.

Dallas Texans (AFL): 1963

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Buck Buchanan was the first pick of the Dallas Texans from Grambling State in the AFL Draft. In the seventh round, the Texans, who became the Kansas City Chiefs chose LB Bobby Bell from Minnesota.

SEC Network points out crazy stat for Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa will go down as one of — if not — the greatest quarterbacks in Alabama history.

By this point, it is universally accepted that Tua Tagovailoa is one of the best quarterbacks in Alabama history. In fact, it would be hard to argue against the notion that the Honolulu (Haw.) native deserves to sit atop the list.

One statistic, which was pointed out by the SEC Network’s Twitter account on Friday, helps validate that argument:

It has been quite awhile since the Crimson Tide has fielded a successful quarterback in the NFL, but think about all the names at that position in program history: Bart Starr, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, AJ McCarron … the list could go on.

Yet, Tagovailoa has found more success through the air, at least when it comes to 400-yard passing games, this season than every other Alabama starting quarterback in history.

On the season, the junior passer has completed 70.9 percent of his passes for 2,584 yards and 31 touchdowns — while only tossing three interceptions.

Tagovailoa has done all this despite missing a game against Arkansas that would’ve certainly helped pad those stats (Mac Jones completed 81.8 percent of his passes for 235 yards and three touchdowns against the Razorbacks).

The team’s first loss of the season to LSU on Saturday probably still lingers in the minds of Alabama fans, but make sure to take a step back and appreciate the greatness that is Tua Tagovailoa.

He’s a rare and special talent.

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