“Tua” Documentary: A masterpiece that tells a tale much bigger than football

It has been twenty years since the Miami Dolphins drafted a quarterback with star power like Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa.

Dan Marino was an icon back in 1983, but times have changed significantly. Heck, before ever throwing a pass in the NFL, Tagovailoa has acquired a plethora of endorsement deals.

Well, we can now add a documentary to the rookie QBs list of achievements.

The documentary, which follows Tua through rehabilitation and the pre-draft process, will air this Sunday at 4 PM EST on Fox. But thanks to a very nice lady at Fox Sports, I was able to get my hands on an early screening of the documentary—and it did not disappoint.

Here is my “review” of the highly anticipated movie, “Tua.”

First off, this won’t be a formal review. It’s a sports documentary. We’ve all seen one. I’ve also never reviewed a film outside of the occasional school project. And most of all, I’m incredibly biased.

Because like the 30-for-30 on Elway and Marino, and the NFL Network’s documentary on the ‘72 Dolphins, this story is about the next potentially great chapter in the Dolphins’ once-storied history.

With the 5th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select:

Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Alabama.

Before the Dolphins and Tua ever cross paths, there’s a lot that happens. And Fox Sports does an exceptional job of telling the story and bringing it all to life. I’ll let you enjoy the film when it premiers later this evening, but for now enjoy some of my notes from my screening of “Tua”.

Top Secret Notes

• Tua looks incredible fishing.
• It was nice to learn more about his Samoan culture. Who is Tua Tagovailoa? How did he become the potential superstar QB he is today? All of that is answered in this film.
• Tagovailoa is more than just a talented quarterback that can make every throw. He’s a family-first guy, and it’s fantastic to have the opportunity to hear the backstory of why it is so important to him.
• Always be the Lion in the story of the lion and gazelle. “Hunt or be hunted”
• I once disliked Nick Saban, but after following Tua intently last season, my mind has changed quite a bit. In this film, Saban does an excellent job of telling stories from Tua’s days at Alabama.
• Other noticeable names that appear include Trent Dilfer, head trainer Jeff Allen, Colin Cowherd, and many other national media pundits chime during this documentary. Fox does a great job of showcasing every aspect of his come-up.
• Trent Dilfer developed a relationship with Tua at the Elite-11, and at the moment, he knew he was special.
• I found it interesting how Tua and his father would go down to the beach to train in the sand. We all know his father was tough on him and tried to do everything he could to set Tua up for success. That is more evident than ever in this film.
• I’d love to see more of these documentaries from Fox Sports. This was well done.

Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images

Conclusion

“Tua” was a masterpiece, which not only helped the audience learn more about the Dolphins’ franchise signal-caller but his Samoan heritage as well. To see what football means to his family, his culture. It was everything.

If you didn’t like Tua before this documentary, there’s no way you still feel that way after. To watch him overcome each obstacle that stood in his way—while remaining positive—was inspirational.

This is a Dolphins website, so that I may be a tiny bit biased. But at the end of the day, this is one of the better sports documentaries I’ve seen.

If you didn’t love Tua Tagovailoa before, you’d love him now. I promise you that.

10/10