Cameras Caught Tua Tagovailoa’s Live Reaction to Nick Saban Retiring From Alabama

Nick Saban shocked the football world earlier this week when he announced his retirement after 17 historic seasons coaching at Alabama.

That list of stunned former players, coaches and fans alike included Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who played three seasons for Saban from 2017–19.

“Oh, damn!” Tagovailoa shouted in the Dolphins’ quarterbacks room when he saw the news on his phone. “Saban is retiring? ... It doesn’t even feel real.” 

Nick Saban's retirement had @Tua and the QB room shook 😅

Wild card edition of #HardKnocks: Tuesday 9pm ET on @StreamOnMax pic.twitter.com/hBvMvtM497

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 13, 2024

Tagovailoa arrived on campus in Tuscaloosa after publicly committing to Alabama in May 2016. He appeared in eight games as a freshman, supplanting quarterback Jalen Hurts as the Crimson Tide’s starter at halftime of the 2018 national championship.

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After Tagovailoa started 24 games for Saban over the next two seasons, he was selected by the Dolphins with the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NFL draft.

But even Tagovailoa, one of Saban’s 44 recruits at Alabama to end up being a first-round pick, was stunned with Saban’s decision to call it a career.