Samoan American QB drafted No. 5 by NFL's Dolphins

Tua Tagovailoa celebrates his Samoan heritage after an Alabama win.

Samoan American Tua Tagovailoa should have been the No. 1 pick in the National Football League's draft. Instead, the Miami Dolphins used their first round pick him as the No. 5 overall pick.

An injury riddled year -- two ankle surgeries and a dislocated hip -- cost the U. of Alabama quarterback the top spot.

The medical concerns are valid, and the reality is he will be walking onto a team with a questionable offensive line.

“I tell you what, it’s been a dream. It’s been a dream to have an opportunity like this,” Tagovailoa said on draft day.

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Tagovailoa slipped into the spotlight in the national championship game two years ago. Trailing at the half, Alabama's coach put him and Tagovailoa was able to rally his team including a last-minute game-winning pass making him the first Samoan quarterback of a national champion team.

in 2018 he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, college football's best player but lost out to Korean American quarterback Kyle Murray.

Tagovailoa went to Saint Louis School in Honolulu and went to one of the top football programs in the nation.

Tua Tagovailoa's parents and siblings moved to Alabama from Hawaii.

His family move with him.

It was a difficult decision, but Tua’s parents decided to move the family from Hawaii to be with Tua in Alabama. This also meant Tua’s younger brother would finish his high school football career in Alabama, and his sister would go to school there as well.

His brother wlll also play for Alabama as a quarterback.Entering the NFL, Tagovailoa  follows the footsteps of Marcus Mariota, another Hawaii quarterback, who succeeded at the Univeristy of Oregon who now plays for the Tennessee Titans.

“It’s not just big for me, it’s for my family as well," Tagovailoa said. "I just want to thank the fans for the love and support but I also want to thank you know owner Steven Ross, I want to thank Chris Greer and head coach, Coach Flores for giving me this opportunity to play for Miami.”