Tua Tagovailoa’s fastest target might not be who you think
When Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played in the pro-am on Wednesday for the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, his playing partners peppered the golf conversation with football talk, too.
Tagovailoa played with Tyler Cameron from “The Bachelor” and YouTube star Micah Morris as his amateur partners. Min Woo Lee served as the foursome’s pro for the front nine, and former Alabama standout Nick Dunlap handled that duty on the back nine at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Tagovailoa’s team carded a 19-under 52 to win the pro-am and still managed to throw around the football.
The Palm Beach Post’s Emilee Smarr reported Tagovailoa was asked during the round to name the fastest receiver he’d thrown to.
The answer would seem apparent. Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill goes by the nickname “Cheetah” and is considered among the fastest players in the NFL. Of the 17 fastest speeds recorded by NFL ball-carriers during the 2023 season, Hill had four, according to Next Gen Stats.
But Hill wasn’t Tagovailoa’s answer.
Wide receiver Henry Ruggs III was.
“He could beat Tyreek in a 200, maybe even a 100,” Tagovailoa said.
A former Lee-Montgomery prep star, Ruggs played three seasons at Alabama with Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa entered the NFL as the fifth selection in the 2020 NFL Draft while Ruggs was the 12th player picked that year.
Ruggs had 50 receptions for 921 yards – an average of 18.4 yard per catch – and four touchdowns after 20 games with the Las Vegas Raiders when his NFL career abruptly halted.
The State of Nevada contended Ruggs was at fault in a deadly accident that occurred in Las Vegas at 3:39 a.m. Nov. 2, 2021. That’s when a Corvette driven by Ruggs struck a Toyota RAV4 driven by 23-year-old Las Vegas resident Tina Tintor. Tintor and her dog died in the wreck.
Originally, Ruggs was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and/or controlled or prohibited substance resulting in death, driving under the influence of alcohol and/or controlled or prohibited substance resulting in death or substantial bodily harm, two counts of reckless driving resulting in death or substantial bodily harm and possession of a gun under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
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In May 2023, Ruggs pleaded guilty to one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or controlled or prohibited substance resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter after reaching a plea arrangement with the Clark County (Nevada) District Attorney’s Office.
On Aug. 9, District Judge Jennifer Schwartz chose to follow the plea agreement and sentenced Ruggs to from 36 to 120 months in prison for the first count and six months in prison for the second count.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.