Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Is First South Florida Player To Lead In All-Star Votes Since LeBron James in 2014
After being labeled as a bust his first two seasons, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had a resurgence in the third year.
Through 12 games, Tagovailoa has thrown for 3,238 yards and 24 touchdowns. He leads the league in passer rating and is tied for the second-least interceptions. The addition of Tyreek Hill and continued success of Jaylen Waddle elevated Tagovailoa’s game.
Tagovailoa received more Pro Bowl votes from fans than any other NFL player. He is the first South Florida player to lead his league in fan balloting since Miami Heat superstar LeBron James. James led the NBA in All-Star voting in 2014, his final season with the Heat. James has led the NBA in All-Star voting nine times, which is tied with Michael Jordan for the most in league history. James has been the voting leader the last six seasons.
Despite leading the NFL in Pro Bowl voting among fans, Tagovailoa did not end up qualifying as a starter. While he made an impression on NFL viewers, players and coaches may disagree.
However, Tagovailoa will most likely be present in the Pro Bowl as a replacement. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow were the top three quarterbacks but one of them will probably end up representing the AFC in the Super Bowl. This means Tagovailoa would be starting in their place, unless the Dolphins end up making it instead.
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Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.
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