The Miami Dolphins announced their captains last week, and for the first time in his career, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will have that honor.
Tagovailoa earned that recognition alongside Tyreek Hill, Terron Armstead, Christian Wilkins, Elandon Roberts, Xavien Howard and Jevon Holland. However, head coach Mike McDaniel mentioned that the quarterback received the most votes on the team.
After a few days to take it all in, Tagovailoa spoke to the media and was able to address his captainship and his reaction to earning the honor.
“I would say it doesn’t change the way I lead,” Tagovailoa said. “I’m very grateful that my teammates think very highly of me in that way, and I think the coolest thing is no one needs to go up and give a speech and tell the team why you should vote for me as a captain. It’s cool that Coach (McDaniel) just allows the guys to decide, and Coach may say that I had the most votes, but there’s a lot of guys that have a lot of respect in our locker room that the guys really trust and really want to play for so I’m very grateful about that. But it doesn’t change the way that I go about my business or how I lead or how I talk to the guys.”
Tagovailoa’s answer is a great one, as he shares his appreciation, but also puts the shine on his teammates, which is a sign of his leadership qualities. He has the trust of his coaches and teammates, and on Sunday, he’ll get his first opportunity to show that he’s ready to take the next step in his progression.
