What is Tua Tagovailoa’s ethnicity? Exploring Dolphins QB’s background

The Miami Dolphins selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth overall choice in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Since being picked, he has worked hard to establish himself as one of the league's top quarterbacks. In the 2024 NFL offseason, Tua signed a mammoth four-year, $212.4 million contract extension following an MVP-esque 2023 season.

Tagovailoa has also acknowledged that his background has played a significant role in his development.

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Tua Tagovailoa's ethnicity explored

Tagovailoa was born in the Hawaiian islands, in the little community of Ewa Beach on the island of O'ahu. Despite having grown up in Hawaii, he is Samoan by ethnicity rather than Hawaiian. While her own parents were from the region of American Samoa, Tagovailoa's mother, Diane, was brought up in Hawaii as well.

The NFL player's father, Galu Tagovailoa, was born in American Samoa also, but relocated to Hawaii when he was three years old, with his father. Tua Tagovailoa is the oldest of four children that Galu and Diane brought up according to Samoan practices and customs.

Sports Illustrated reports that Tua's grandfather gave him his uncommon name, which was inspired by a bird that flew over the Samoan communities.

Long ago, Seu Tagovailoa, Tua's grandpa, became the “Chief Tagovailoa” in the Samoan community of Hawaii after relocating to Hawaii with his nine children from American Samoa. Being among the first to recognize his grandson's skill, he had a dream of seeing Tua play in the NFL. Unfortunately, Seu passed away in 2014 before Tua started playing professionally.

After his grandfather passed away, Tua Tagovailoa was on the verge of giving up his love of football, but his father made him realize how playing the game would be the best approach for him to remember his grandfather.

Tagovailoa's family moved to Alabaster when he decided to play collegiate football at Alabama after graduating from Saint Louis School, where he played high school football.

After finishing his college career as the owner of multiple Alabama football records, Tagovailoa was chosen by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2020 NFL selection.

Does Tua Tagovailoa have a brother that plays football?

It's not only Tua Tagovailoa who plays football in his family. While the quarterback for the Miami Dolphins is having a great NFL season right now, his brother Taulia Tagovailoa is a senior at Maryland. He pushed for a place in the 2024 NFL Draft but went undrafted. Taulia currently plays in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Like his brother, Taulia is a quarterback on the field. As Tua's backup, he began his collegiate football career at Alabama. But as soon as Tua entered the NFL, he moved to Maryland following the 2019 season in search of other opportunities to establish a reputable football name of his own.

According to Taulia, he has been motivated to succeed after witnessing Tua achieve great success for himself in the NFL.

"Watching him play in the NFL, starting in the NFL, and doing really well, so it's motivation for me, and that's something I strive to be like," he stated.