The fourth-year quarterback who led the Miami Dolphins to a comeback victory on Christmas Eve remained humble during a post-game news conference, thanking his teammates, his coaches, and -- most of all, he said -- his Savior.
Tua Tagovailoa guided the Dolphins on a game-winning 12-play, 64-yard drive in the closing seconds that was capped by a field goal to give his team a 22-20 win over Dallas as time expired. In a postgame interview on national television, he spread the credit.
“The key was the guys just having competitive greatness,” he told Fox. “You know, all over -- the defense did a great job, the offense did a great job. … I just want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Without Him, nothing would be possible.”
“I just want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Without Him, nothing would be possible.”
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) December 25, 2023
— Tua after helping the Dolphins clinch a playoff berth after a big win over Dallas.
pic.twitter.com/jzHGFi6Qjl
Tagovailoa is one of the more popular players in the NFL and leads all players in voting for the 2024 Pro Bowl with 175,722 votes, according to the latest tally by the NFL. The No. 2 player on the list, San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey, has 131,108 votes.
The University of Alabama product is having a breakout season with 4,214 passing yards and a 70.5 percent completion rate -- both league-leading stats. Against the Cowboys, he completed 24 of 37 passing yards for 293 yards and a touchdown.
Miami (11-4) and Baltimore (12-3) are in a battle for the AFC’s top seed and home-field advantage. They face one another on Sunday in Baltimore.
Tagovailoa acknowledged there are many doubters in the league who don’t believe his team can win big games.
“I think if we were to listen to any of the narratives, I don't think we'd be in the position that we're in,” he said. “So I'm very proud of this team, very proud of the guys in that locker room continuing to fight for one another, continuing to press forward and, you know, managing the outside noise.”
Three @49ers in the Top 5 🔥
— NFL (@NFL) December 20, 2023
Less than a week left to vote! Tweet player name + #ProBowlVote to cast your ballot 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/4ZcfCsdiPJ
Tagovailoa’s bio on X (formerly Twitter) references 1 Corinthians 2:9: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived — the things God has prepared for those who love him.”
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Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@Sports_Spectrum/Dec24
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.