Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa at practice on Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023, in Frankfurt, Germany.(AP Photo/Michael Probst)
By
- Mark Inabinett | [email protected]
Since bursting onto the national football scene by leading Alabama to a comeback victory in the CFP title game for the 2017 season, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has gone on to finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting, enter the NFL as a first-round draft choice, sustain a nationally televised concussion and trigger the greatest offensive outburst by an NFL team in half a century.
Along the way, Tagovailoa has become first-name famous as an NFL star, perhaps aided by the challenge of pronouncing his last name.
With Tagovailoa in Germany for the Miami Dolphins’ game on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs in Frankfurt, the quarterback held a press conference on Wednesday, when he was told by a local reporter that the German media had learned to pronounce his last name.
But the German press was curious about the pronunciation of his first name – not just Tua, but his full first name, which is Tuanigamanuolepola.
Tagovailoa told the reporters that his backup, Mike White, could do it before delivering the pronunciation himself.
The Dolphins and Chiefs square off at 8:30 a.m. CST Sunday at Deutsche Bank Park. NFL Network will televise the game.
Miami traveled to Germany on Monday.
“It was a really long flight,” Tagovailoa said, “and I think we just need one more day to get adjusted to the sleep schedule, and after that I think it’ll be fun. Coming here and playing on Sunday, I think one of the things that I’m excited for is the fans. I don’t know how many people from Germany watch American football, or doesn’t, so that’s what I would say I’m excited about, for the fans. I’d like to know what they would be cheering for -- if it’s a field goal they cheer for, things like that -- and if they have chants, we’d love to hear them. …
“It’s been pretty cool. We’ve been able to go check the city out, been able to go to maybe two places to get some drinks and then also try some food. But for the most part it’s been pretty cool. I got to go golf with a couple guys as well.”
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.
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