Tua Tagovailoa is doing everything he can to eliminate any concerns teams might have about selecting him in the 2020 NFL Draft later this month.
The former Alabama quarterback has been posting videos on social media of him doing drills, and Thursday, he participated in a voluntary medical evaluation. According to ESPN and the NFL Network, the recheck was facilitated by the NFL combine — which Tua was not medically cleared to participate in back in February — and the results were “overwhelmingly positive,” his representatives told the two outlets.
Tagovailoa was evaluated by an independent doctor, “who was selected by NFL team physicians, and all 32 team doctors and trainers were allowed to give input on the type of exams they wanted done,” ESPN also reported.
The former Heisman Trophy finalist is a projected top-5 NFL Draft pick, and our Henry McKenna has him going at No. 3 to the Los Angeles Chargers after a trade, predicting that Tagovailoa’s “bum ankle and hip wont be enough to sink his draft stock.”
In Alabama’s November win over Mississippi State, he dislocated his hip and suffered a posterior wall fracture, a season-ending injury, at the end of the first half. He had successful surgery two days later — his second of the season after having a high-ankle sprain in October. (He also had the same injury on the opposite ankle in 2018.)
And after nearly a four-month recovery, Tagovailoa was cleared for some football activity in early March, and now, according to the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, his reps say he’s fulfilled all his medical obligations.
More: All 32 team doctors and trainers were able to provide input on what exams they wanted to see conducted, and a comprehensive exam was performed. The results were shared with all 32 teams. At this point, Tua has fulfilled all medical obligations, per his reps. https://t.co/HsA5hr7b9z
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 2, 2020
This week on SportsCenter, Tagovailoa said he’s been virtually meeting with teams almost every day, but he wouldn’t specify which teams because “you just never know what’s going to happen.” But he did say most of the teams’ questions have been about football, rather than his injury and rehab.
About his health an ability to potentially play in the NFL as a rookie, Tagovailoa said:
“I feel as normal as can be. I feel like if I had to go out there and perform the same way I did my sophomore year and my junior year, being 100 percent healthy, I feel like I’d be able to go out there and do that. …
“I’m 100 percent right now. I’m just ready to go play. It’s been four months too long.”
And, of course, he’s been in touch with Alabama coach Nick Saban, who’s offered advice and talking points. Tagovailoa joked about how he used to feel like talking to Saban was like going to the principal’s office but called his coach a “tremendous asset” in the pre-draft process.
The NFL Draft will begin Thursday, April 23.
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