NFL
Tua Tagovailoa’s Full Name Perfectly Predicted His Football Success and Leadership Traits
Jake Elman wrote for Sportscasting between 2020 and 2022, after writing for UPI, Gannett, MLB Advanced Media, and The Palm Beach Post. As a member of the Football Writers Association of America, Jake specialized in covering college football, the NFL, and sports media for Sportscasting. A former college football beat writer and podcast host, Jake is also a voter for the Fred Biletnikoff Award. Originally born and raised in New York, Jake is a Florida Atlantic University journalism graduate who is inspired by sports, ionate about his work, and enjoys reading the work of Jay Mariotti, Joe Posnanski, and Peter King. Jake lives in South Florida with his two dogs, Jack and Karma, and believes they are the key to fixing the New York Jets.
Get to know Jake Elman betterPublished23 Oct 2020
quarterback’s full name perfectly describes everything the rookie quarterback stands for and what he brings to the Miami Dolphins.
Tua Tagovailoa is originally from Hawaii
Before he led the Alabama Crimson Tide or ed the Miami Dolphins, Tua Tagovailoa grew up in Hawaii.
The 25-year-old is from Ewa Beach, a small city in the northern Hawaiian islands. He played at Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii, the same school where Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and former No. 2 overall draft pick Marcus Mariota attended.
Tagovailoa is not of Hawaiian descent but Samoan. And his brother, Taulia Tagovailoa, is a quarterback for the Maryland Terrapins. The two played together at Alabama in 2019 until Taulia transferred to Maryland.
What does Tua Tagovailoa’s full name mean in Samoan?
Tua Tagovailoa’s full name is not Tua Tagovailoa. Tua is short for Tuanigamanuolepola, but he goes by the former name for short.
Tagovailoa’s childhood pastor, Rev. Manino Afuola, spoke with CBS 42 for an interview in 2018. Afuola explained the significance of Tagovailoa’s full name.
The first part of the full name, Tuanigamanuolepola, is “tu,” which means “stand.” The second part, “Aniga,” means “to be echoed.”
“Manu ole pola” refers to an island bird that sings and awakens people for prayer. Afuola said the name, when added together, perfectly describes the star quarterback.
“He is standing out there, making this noise, and heralding this joy and this praise for our Heavenly Father in what He does,” Afuola said.
If that doesn’t describe Tagovailoa down to the final stitch on his jersey, what does?
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