Tua Tagovailoa to Participate in 2020 NFL Combine; Goal Is to 'Win My Medical'

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa announced Thursday he'll take part in the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine, which will feature QB workouts on Feb. 27.

Tagovailoa said during an appearance on the NFL Network his main goal at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will be to show he's healthy after suffering ankle, hip and nose injuries along with a concussion during his final season with the Crimson Tide.

"I'll be participating in the combine, but my main goal is not to win the 40, not to win the bench press, but to win my medical," he said. "I'm going to go over there looking to win my medical and then go in and interview with the teams."

Tagovailoa was one of the most impactful players in college football over the past two years.

He finished second in the 2018 Heisman Trophy voting after completing 69 percent of his throws for 3,966 yards with 43 touchdowns and six interceptions in 15 games. He was named the Offensive MVP after leading the Tide to a victory over the Georgia Bulldogs in the national championship game.

The 21-year-old Hawaii native was limited to nine appearances in 2019 because of the injuries. He remained highly productive when healthy, connecting on 71.4 percent of his attempts with 33 TDs and three picks.

Tagovailoa, who split playing time with Jalen Hurts as a freshman in 2017, finished his time at Bama with 96 total touchdowns (87 passing and nine rushing) in 32 games.

Although he declared for the 2020 NFL draft before the underclassman deadline in early January, he said during an appearance on PFT Live he almost stayed at Alabama for his senior season.

"I was very close," Tagovailoa said Thursday. "I sat down with my family, my parents, got to see where their hearts were with this whole thing."

It's a decision that would have carried plenty of risk given his recent injury history and his likely status as a top-10 pick come April. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller ranked him as the No. 7 overall prospect and the second-best quarterback behind LSU's Joe Burrow on his latest big board.

A clean medical test in Indianapolis combined with a strong showing in workouts and interviews over the next few months would give Tagovailoa a great chance to land inside the top five on draft day given the widespread need for franchise signal-callers in the NFL.