Tua Tagovailoa Says He's Willing to Start NFL Career as Backup, Be Mentored

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said Tuesday at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine he's willing to start his professional career as a backup if his new team wants him to learn from a veteran.

Yahoo Sports' Kimberley A. Martin provided Tagovailoa's full comments on the subject:

The 21-year-old Hawaii native put together a tremendous statistical career with the Crimson Tide. He completed 69.3 percent of his throws for 7,442 yards with 87 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions across 32 collegiate appearances. He added 340 rushing yards and nine scores on the ground.

Injuries have become a factor over the past two years, though. He suffered a high-ankle sprain late in the 2018 season and another one in the middle of the 2019 campaign. His third and final year with Bama then came to a premature end in November because of a dislocated hip, broken nose and concussion.

His health, not talent level, is teams' concern ahead of the 2020 NFL draft. Tagovailoa explained he spent nearly 10 hours at the hospital Monday for medical testing:

The quarterback added he's hopeful to receive full clearance before his pro day April 9.

Tagovailoa has the talent to become a Day 1 starter in the NFL and that will be the expectation if he's selected inside the top 10 when the draft gets underway April 23 in Las Vegas. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller has him as the No. 5 overall prospect on his latest big board.

If he doesn't open 2020 as a starter—the Miami Dolphins (No. 5 pick) and Los Angeles Chargers (No. 6) makes the most sense on paper right now—it'll likely be more due to a slow injury recovery than being asked to learn another a veteran like the Phins' Ryan Fitzpatrick or Bolts' Tyrod Taylor.

That said, the 2018 SEC Offensive Player of the Year's willingness to take on whatever role is assigned to him shows maturity that'll suit him well at the next level.