Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel has been a godsend for Tua Tagovailoa in ways that are still just now becoming clear.
In an interview with NBC Video ahead of Sunday night’s Dolphins-Eagles game, Tagovailoa revealed how he was a “Yes Man” under Brian Flores, who instilled a chilling culture during his three years as Dolphins coach.
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Miami Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa Opens Up About Brian Flores, Mike McDaniel
The nearly eight-minute interview with Michael Smith went live on YouTube and social media late Saturday night. Some of the highlights?
Tagovailoa again suggested that Flores, who was fired after the 2021 season, tried to make him lead in ways that Tua was not comfortable with.
“It is challenging, but I think as I’ve grown up to play football, it’s always, ‘Yessir, no sir,’ or if you feel like talking back, it’s ‘Coach me, Coach’ kind of deal,” Tagovailoa said.
“As I’ve gone from high school to college, I’ve always taught to respect your elders. Whatever they tell you, that’s what you should do. Like, ‘You should get on this guy like that.’ And I’d be like, ‘Man, that’s not how I would normally do it.’
One might wonder how Tua Tagovailoa's career would have played out if he didn't end up getting paired with Mike McDaniel.pic.twitter.com/AcAknNG9to
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) October 22, 2023
“I would fight the urge of, ‘OK, this is what he’s telling me, but then I know this guy doesn’t respond well to that. How could I not manipulate it, but how could I make it to where I’m getting my point across and he understands it, but I’m doing it respectfully in the right manner?’
“That’s what I would say I fought with in college and coming into the league. Being myself, I don’t think that’s something that people really understand, that people can really wrap their minds around, being themselves.”
Tua Speaks About Being Himself
It’s been no secret that McDaniel has empowered Tagovailoa to make throws and decisions that Flores would not allow — most notably, a deep touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill against the Giants that wasn’t the play McDaniel had called.
Tagovailoa suggested that Flores’ way made him walk on eggshells.
“For me being able to be myself, every facet of where I am in the facility, at home, outside, it allows me to play free,” Tagovailoa said.
“I don’t have to think if I make this throw, these are the consequences of what the coach will do, what will be said to me after I do it. It’s ‘Dude, you’re OK. Move on.’
“It’s something that Mike has helped train in me, [quarterbacks coach Darrell] Bevell has trained in me, all the guys have helped me, as far as the mental aspect of, ‘Dude you can’t be so hard on yourself.. This game is hard enough.’
“You’re going to make mistakes, but literally, it’s one of those things where like, ‘How are you going to respond? And how can you do that over a long period of time consistently?’ That’s something I’m still continuing to work on, but it’s definitely gotten better since they’ve been here.”
In Early Days, Tua Was Afraid to Laugh
McDaniel is one of the funniest people in all of sports. But in McDaniel’s early days as Dolphins coach, Tagovailoa didn’t even allow himself to laugh at some of his jokes.
“For me, prior to that, it was almost like people-pleasing,” he said. “Being like a ‘Yes Man,’ almost. With Mike being able to come down here and allowing me to be myself, I wouldn’t even laugh at his jokes in team meetings, I was so nervous. I just wanted to get everything right. I was very tense all the time. Yeah, we could go real deep into it. But yeah, that’s what it is.”
MORE: Jalen Hurts vs. Tua Tagovailoa — Who Would You Rather Have?
How is the Dolphins’ culture now?
“Fun and happy: That’s how I would explain it [now],” he said. “Fun, because I’m able to be myself, and the guys around me are able to be themselves. We’re able to have open dialogue in a manner that’s respectful, and now, ‘You have to be this way as a leader; you have to say these things as a leader to your players.’ And we’re allowed freedom in that sense.
“And just happy. When you’re having fun, happiness comes along with it. And I think it’s a testament to everyone in that regard. Everyone’s having fun. The joy that we all bring to each other when things work out the way they’re supposed to, when we work hard, when we work together. All of that.”