There’s plenty of excitement surrounding the Miami Dolphins this offseason when, among other acquisitions, they brought in coveted defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and star cornerback Jalen Ramsey and come off the Dolphins’ first playoff appearance in six years.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa certainly feels the organization is taking another step as he heads into a fourth season and second under coach Mike McDaniel and his offense.
“I’m very excited,” a cheerful Tagovailoa said while sporting a new mustache at his second-annual “Luau with Tua” event, benefitting his foundation Monday evening at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood.
“I think our entire team is excited to get back out there, get to meet a lot of the newer guys. A lot of the newer guys getting to meet a lot of the guys that have been in this system for a whole year now.”
Tagovailoa, listed at 6 foot 1, 217 pounds last season, has noticeably gained muscle in the months since Miami’s 2022 season ended in a wild-card round playoff loss at the Buffalo Bills on Jan. 15.
“Offseason training’s been good,” Tagovailoa said. “Been working on strength in many areas and been chipping away at things that I felt like I needed to work on to get to where I feel I can get to in the later parts of the season.”
Part of Tagovailoa’s offseason workouts have included jiu-jitsu lessons to better protect himself against blows to the head after two separate diagnosed concussions caused him to miss 5 1/2 games in 2022, including the Dolphins’ playoff loss in Buffalo.
Tua’s luau involved a number of themes with a nod to Tagovailoa’s Polynesian, Samoan and Hawaiian culture. Tagovailoa joked that jiu-jitsu would not be incorporated into the on-stage festivities.
After McDaniel famously took part in the chants at last year’s inaugural event, Dolphins Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor and some of Tagovailoa’s current Miami teammates — running back Raheem Mostert, fullback Alec Ingold and wide receiver River Cracraft — went up on stage Monday.
“It’s cool,” Tagovailoa said. “The support that I get from my head coach, our coaches that are coming and a lot of my teammates that are coming, as well, it’s cool.
“The Polynesian culture, this is my culture, my Samoan culture that I grew up [with], that raised me. One thing that I did see a lot of growing up was giving back, giving back to the community. … That was something that I really wanted to continue on, but on a greater stage. Polynesian culture is just like football. It brings everyone together for a really good cause.”
The event raised funds through silent auctions for sports memorabilia. Tagovailoa spoke more to what he’s trying to accomplish with his foundation.
“The initiative of the Tua Foundation is to continue to give back to the communities that have helped me get to where I’m at today,” Tagovailoa said. “So we do this in Hawaii, we do this in Alabama, and then, also, here in South Florida.”
Tagovailoa said his event is also raising funds for the Jason Taylor Foundation and Special Olympics.
Tagovailoa was in a joyful mood speaking to reporters before his charity event.
“I’m smiling a lot more,” he said of how he feels now compared to the same time last year.
The Dolphins begin their offseason workout program a week from Monday with organized team activities slated to start in late May.
