Taulia Tagovailoa, the younger brother of NFL star Tua Tagovailoa, is making waves in D1 college football. With fame comes attention, and Taulia recently revealed that he made a tough decision for the sake of his career. He turned down an eye-popping offer of $1,500,000 tampering money from an undisclosed SEC team.
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Many expected Taulia to be a middle-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, but the Pristine Bowl MVP surprised everyone by choosing to play one more year in college before entering the 2024 NFL Draft. However, he was not short of tempting options. An SEC school attempted to lure him away from Maryland with an NFL-like deal, but Taulia remained committed to his current path.
Contentment vs. Crazy Money: Tua Tagovailoa’s Insight on College Football Offers
At the Big Ten media day, Tua Tagovailoa shed light on the practice of tampering in college football, which the NCAA deems illegal for various reasons. The Athletic reported Tagovailoa’s comments on the lucrative nature of being a highly sought-after quarterback, referring to it as “crazy money.” However, he made it clear that his perspective on the situation is different from what one might expect.
“It can be eye-opening, but I think for my situation — if I were in a different situation where maybe I didn’t have a brother in the NFL or maybe my parents, it’d be a different situation.”
The quarterback took advice from his brother, as he was offered a massive deal involving the ‘crazy money’ he mentioned. Tua Tagovailoa mentioned that the NFL-like deal worth $1.5 million was exactly the crazy money he had mentioned in the past. While Tua Tagovailoa expressed contentment with his situation in Maryland, the perks of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) opportunities continue to draw attention toward the transfer portal trend.
The quarterback tried to explain his situation in a statement talking about his plans. The player stated, “It would be hard for me to go to another place and not be happy but have all the money in the world. (I’d rather) be at a place where maybe I don’t have as much, but I’m happy and I’m here to work.”
The decision to reject such a lucrative offer showcases Taulia’s dedication to his college career. It is also evidence of his determination to make it big in the NFL on his own terms.
The College Sports Wire’s Top 10 Big Ten Quarterbacks for the 2023 Season
According to the initial post-spring power rankings by The College Sports Wire, Kyle McCord has secured the top spot. The ranking stands for the 10 quarterbacks expected to start in the 2023 Big Ten season. The ranking was followed by Drew Allar, Taulia Tagovailoa, and Tanner Mordecai.
In the 2022 season, Tagovailoa has thrown for 3,008 passing yards with a completion rate of 67%. He has recorded 18 passing touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
However, in the upcoming season, the challenge lies in taking his team beyond the semifinals. As the season progresses, the rankings may evolve. However, for now, the rankings stand tall at the forefront of the quarterback lineup.
