Nick Saban: Tua Will Be 'Great Face' of Dolphins; Compares Style to Drew Brees

Not only are Miami Dolphins fans excited about landing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the 2020 NFL draft, his former coach is also happy about the destination.

"I was really, really hopeful that Miami would take him," Alabama coach Nick Saban said, per Barry Jackson and Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald. "Tua's such a great person. Really was a very, very good leader here. One of the most popular players that we've ever had with our fans and our fanbase. I think he will be a great face of the organization there."

Saban was concerned the medical issues surrounding Tagovailoa would cause Miami to make a mistake by passing on him, similar to when he was the Dolphins' coach and the organization chose not to sign Drew Brees because of a shoulder injury. 

"He was going to be the quarterback in Miami," he said of Brees. "That was a medical decision. Not a coaching decision."

Brees has earned 12 Pro Bowl selections in 14 years with the New Orleans Saints, plus a Super Bowl title. The Dolphins instead traded for Daunte Culpepper, who lasted just four games with the team.

This time around, the Dolphins selected Tagovailoa despite the 22-year-old coming off a dislocated hip. He has also dealt with ankle and wrist injuries during his time at Alabama.

His on-field play was enough to justify the risk after totaling 76 passing touchdowns and nine interceptions in 24 games over the past two seasons.

As Saban noted, the two quarterbacks have more in common than just injuries.

"I think there are some similarities in the style of the way these two guys play the position," he added.

Though Tagovailoa is left-handed, both quarterbacks measure at 6'0" yet make up for a lack of height with excellent accuracy. The Alabama product completed 71.4 percent of his passes in 2019 while Brees completed an NFL-best 74.3 percent of attempts last year.

Considering Brees has the most passing yards and passing touchdowns in NFL history, Tagovailoa has a lot to live up to at the next level.