The starting running back for the Alabama Crimson Tide does not get top billing here in Hawaii. Not with Tua Tagovailoa back in town.
Still, that running back — Najee Harris — was at Campbell High School in Ewa Beach on Saturday to join in the community parade and celebration of one of his Crimson Tide quarterbacks, the aforementioned Tagovailoa.
Many of the people who had a hand in forging Tagovailoa into the man he is today were there — teammates, coaches, teachers, state lawmakers, administrators and members of his church. Due to the influence of those latter people, Tagovailoa lets it be known that any glory he earns is inextricably linked to his faith.
Tagovailoa entered the national consciousness by coming off the bench and into January’s NCAA championship game in the second half and leading Alabama from behind to beat Georgia 26-23 in overtime.
But on this Saturday, faith was the undeniable message, including Tagovailoa’s 12-minute speech.
Pastor Sai Amosa of Message of Peace Ministry talked about how Tagovailoa’s grandparents — the late Seumaninoa and Leaniva Tagovailoa — had a vision of raising champions with the newly formed Ewa Beach Sabers youth football team in 2012.
“It was slow starting out,” she said. “One family showed up and we celebrated that one family. We were not discouraged. We celebrated every family that came out and we kept saying there’s going to be more. Since then, the Ewa Beach Sabers have flourished. The message was that nothing is impossible. Tua is our ambassador, but there are many more phenomenal athletes who have gone on to play Division I football. It can only be done through the word.”
The Tide’s Harris, along with offensive linemen Alex Leatherwood and Joshua Casher, flew in to be here for Tagovailoa.
“We worked out at the beach this morning with everybody,” said Harris, who has known Tagovailoa since he was a sophomore in high school through camps. “This is crazy how the community comes together for their fellow man. To come together for this and do it for Tua, it’s about more than football and the support of him is so good to see.”
After a short parade, Tagovailoa was given some awards and proclamations from various community groups, and a large throng of well-wishers was treated to music and hula. Tagovailoa, along with his cousin Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa (a Notre Dame defensive tackle) and others, did a traditional Samoan dance called taualuga. Tagovailoa also signed autographs and gave any fans who asked a chance to be in a photo with him.
Former chart-topping singer Glenn Medeiros, the president at Saint Louis School — where Tagovailoa starred in high school — also performed.
“It’s a good time to be with my family,” Tagovailoa said, after a few hours’ worth of signing autographs with his right (non-throwing) hand. “It’s a celebration for them more than it is for me. When one wins in our family, we all win.”
As for his future with three years of eligibility left, he said, “Just gotta keep working, man. What I accomplish now or in the past, I’m leaving it there and trying to move on.”
A scar on the top of Tagovailoa’s left hand from surgery after a spring injury was visible.
“That’s not the concern,” said Galu Tagovailoa, Tua’s father who has relocated the family to Alabama. “That’s minor stuff. The big thing right now is allowing God to work his plans through him. We’re here to thank the state, thank the people who made him who he is and able to come out and play with the big boys. It’s not just family and it’s not just Saint Louis.”
Last week, Tua told middle school students that he thought about leaving Alabama if he didn’t play in the national title game. On Saturday, he gave the crowd some insight into that magical moment when he learned that he would be playing.
“When we were down at halftime, coach (Nick) Saban got the quarterbacks together and he told the quarterbacks that, ‘Tua, you’re going to start the second half and we’re going to rotate you and (starting QB) Jalen (Hurts) every series. We’ll see how it goes.’ ” Tagovailoa said. “I went in. I was just excited. The first thing that came to my mind was opportunity. This is an opportunity for me to get a chance to show what I’m able to do, what I’m capable of. And I got in. We just started playing. There really were no nerves, but every time before a series, during a series, after a series, the biggest thing that helped me was my faith. Praying through series kept me calm. … It was an amazing experience. When I took (a) sack, I thought, ‘We just gotta get closer.’ I wasn’t even thinking of the outcome (the winning 41-yard TD pass to DeVonta Smith) happening like that. I’d like to thank God and praise him for what he’s done in my life and in my family’s life.”
