Tua Tagovailoa (born March 2, 1998) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, known for his distinctive Hawaiian and Samoan heritage—his name is pronounced TUNG-oh-vy-LOH-ə. He rose to stardom at the University of Alabama, where he captured the Offensive MVP award in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship as a freshman and later claimed the Maxwell and Walter Camp awards as a sophomore. Selected fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft, he became their primary starter in 2021, leading the league in passer rating in 2022 and passing yards in 2023, while earning a Pro Bowl nod and guiding the team to two playoff appearances. After injuries and a performance decline led to his release by Miami following the 2025 season, he signed with the Falcons, currently ranking second all-time in completion percentage among quarterbacks with at least 1,500 attempts. Growing up in ʻEwa Beach, Hawaii, he was deeply inspired by his grandfather, Seu Tagovailoa, and attended the same high school as Marcus Mariota, where his father's intense coaching—including belt punishments for interceptions—helped forge his competitive drive.