Taulia Tagovailoa Scores on First Rushing Attempt in CFL Debut

Former Alabama and Thompson High School quarterback, Taulia Tagovailoa, made a strong impression in his Canadian Football League (CFL) debut on Monday. Tagovailoa, playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, scored a touchdown on his very first rushing attempt as a professional.

Tagovailoa entered the game as a substitute for Hamilton's starting quarterback, Bo Levi Mitchell. He scored from 3 yards out, helping the Tiger-Cats take an early 14-0 lead over the Toronto Argonauts with 7:32 remaining in the first quarter.

The Tiger-Cats secured a narrow 31-28 victory against Toronto during the Labour Day Classic at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton came into the game with a 2-9 record, while Toronto was 6-4.

In addition to his touchdown run, Tagovailoa had another rushing attempt, gaining 7 more yards. He also completed his only pass for 6 yards during the game.

Tagovailoa joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on June 10 as part of their practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on August 21 but did not play in their previous game against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on August 23.

Before joining the CFL, Tagovailoa played for Alabama in 2019 before transferring to Maryland. While at Maryland, he set the Big Ten record for career passing yards, completing 955 of 1,424 passes for 11,256 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 37 interceptions over four seasons.

Despite his success in college, Tagovailoa was not selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. He attended rookie minicamps with the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals on a tryout basis but was not signed by either team.

During his high school career at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama, Tagovailoa was named the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 7A Back of the Year in both 2017 and 2018. He was the first player in Alabama high school history to have four games with at least 400 passing yards.

At Alabama, Tagovailoa was behind his brother, Tua Tagovailoa, and Mac Jones on the quarterback depth chart. He completed 9 out of 12 passes for 100 yards and one touchdown during the 2019 season.

Tagovailoa had planned to play another college season in 2024, but his request for an additional year of eligibility was denied by the NCAA. He had hoped to use 2019 as a redshirt year, noting that he only played briefly in two games that season. However, the NCAA did not grant the waiver.