My first observation of Maryland’s quarterback, Tualia Tagovailoa, was shortly after his arrival in College Park from the University of Alabama in 2020 as a redshirt sophomore. He was at that time Coach Mike Locksley’s premier transfer recruit. He was soft spoken.
Over time I watched his confidence grow and mature. On the playing field, in practice at the nearby Jones-Hill complex (former Cole Field House) and in front of the media microphones and cameras. Coaches and athletic administrative hands certainly helped.
His final game for Maryland (7-5) will be against Auburn (6-6) on December 30, 2023 at the Music City Bowl in Nashville, TN.
Appraisals will be made by fans and detractors from now until then the riddle of Tagovailoa that defines his legacy at Maryland.
For a moment let’s put aside his record setting playing statistics, wins and losses and his relationship with Coach Locksley’s offense. The reality is his legacy is still being written and not fully understood I contend until a distant time when future quarterbacks consistently take game day snaps for the Terrapins.
The college football game for Maryland has changed dramatically from the glory days from 2001 that ended in 2010 under former head coach Ralph Freidgen. Maryland’s collegiate football sports history in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) was traded for the brutal Midwestern style of Big Ten Conference (B1G) football in 2014. Emphasis on run versus pass, three yards and cloud of dust, big linemen, and suffocating defenses that limited mobile quarterbacks.
Could Maryland, forever a basketball school, gain a moniker as a football power?
Over his career Tagovailoa helped to change that branded metric. No longer would B1G opponents look at Maryland strictly as a homecoming date companion, slotted for a noon TV network kickoff.
So, let’s take a stab at what could make up Tagovailoa legacy.
- He Stayed: Like the chorus line from the Jackson Browne cover combo song Stay “Won’t you stay a little bit longer”, he did. In the new era of NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and the Transfer Portal passageway for talented football underclassmen Tagovailoa chose to stay at Maryland. Foregoing NIL riches and new challenges he spent his graduate senior year in College Park. He stayed rather than become eligible for the NFL draft. He stayed, and only he will know this, to achieve inner goals. Certainly, the Terps had unfinished business to resurrect a weak football program and Tagovailoa shouldered that challenge. He stayed loyal and became the football equivalent of a Tony Massenberg of Terp basketball lore (in 1989-90 for Maryland Coach Gary Williams).
- He set a High Bar for all B1G Quarterbacks: Ok, let’s talk playing statistics. He owns Maryland career records for Season and Career Passing Yardage, for Season and Career Touchdowns and second only to Scott Milanovich and Frank Reich (former head coach of the Carolina Panthers) in Single Game Completions, Single Game Yards (Milanovich) and Touchdowns (Reich). For his career to-date he has 11,215 passing yards. That’s over 4,000 yards more than Milanovich. He has surpassed multiple Maryland quarterbacks who went on to play on Sundays as NFL Pros. That list includes Milanonvich, Boomer Esiason, Neil O’Donnell, Stan Gelbaugh, and Dick Shiner. All of them set their records 20 or more years ago. Lastly and most importantly, Tagovailoa is now the leader amongst all B1G quarterbacks for Career yardage, topping along the way, those that also played in the NFL including Drew Brees, Sean Clifford, J.T. Barrett, Kirk Cousins, and Chad Henne. You might recognize a few of those named they played at one time for the Redskins/Commanders .
- He is becoming a model for the youth faithful: As a season ticket holder I sit among the fans. I find it refreshing and hopeful for the good image Tagovailoa projects both on the field an off. It’s coming as I observe parents who bring children to the game and explain Tagovailoa’s career and path to Maryland or as they cheer for him playing. An enthusiastic role model yes, as a salesman for #3 Maryland jersey’s – I really got no clue about that. But weirdly, I did see a lot of Miami Dolphin Jersey’s with the name Tagovailoa on it. Perhaps all in good time and fortune for Tualia.
- Maryland Pride – Always a Terp: This one is difficult. If you ever attended a Maryland Football or Basketball game the Athletic Department will run a video of “prideful” Maryland stars from the past shouting out their “I have Maryland Pride” loyalty oath. My biggest kick is watching Randy White (1974 MD/Dallas Cowboys 1975-88) claim his pride. What was especially evident on the senior day home game against Michigan was the respect that the sold-out crowd gave him when his name was announced. Maryland and Michigan fans alike, some standing some sitting, clapped loudly for him and his family. He’s a Terp. He’ll never go thirsty at Looney’s Pub, or any other College Park watering hole should he so choose to walk in.
- “I didn’t get here alone”: A tip of the hat to Kenny Chesney for the words to this song. It took more than just Tagovailoa’s talent to set all those records. He needed coaching, a reactive offensive line, dozens of targets of receivers and running backs, and his faith and trust in the standard (it’s a process) at Maryland. The standard by design makes all benefit and not just one, in this case Tualia. So, although he may be among the top at this game, he’ll look back years later and smile gratefully for all those that contributed along the way.
Tagovailoa is now quiet and comfortable before a microphone. He treats those omnidirectional objects like middle linebacker “spies” who watch his every move as he sways back and forth in front of a mic, like he does in front of them in a shotgun formation.
Putting this in perspective Tagovailoa was unique in his role, he benefitted from an offense designed to take advantage of his talents.
When doing research for this article I checked on college stats for two well-known college/pro legacy quarterbacks, Joe Theismann (rhymes with Heisman) and Joe Montana, both played for Notre Dame, both Pros and Super Bowl winners. At Notre Dame they only accounted for 4,400 and 4, 100 yards respectively over a limited three-year playing career and a 10 to 11 game season. Today’s game is a far cry from the one’s they played back in the 70’s.
So, legacies are subjective and mature over time.
The quarterback position is both frantic and fragile at all competitive levels. Excellence (or career statistics) at this position does not automatically guarantee winning the big game, the conference championship, or the Super Bowl. The college game still needs both sides to excel, the offense and its defense.
Tualia Tagovailoa, certainly has the creds for the offensive side of today’s college game. That part of this Maryland Football legacy is in his past. Will he get a chance to improve it as a Prideful Terp at the professional level?
Well, that is the next part of this riddle for a Maryland football legend.
