By Ken Roberts, City Editor
Football fans will find out Monday whether Tua Tagovailoa will stay at the University of Alabama or enter the NFL Draft.
UA has scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference with Tagovailoa and coach Nick Saban, when the decision will be announced.
The Crimson Tide quarterback led UA to the national title as a freshman, finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up as a sophomore, but had his junior season cut short by a hip injury.
Tagovailoa came to Tuscaloosa as a highly touted high school recruit from Ewa Beach, Hawaii. He made his mark on Jan. 8, 2018, by coming off the bench to rally the Tide in the College Football Playoff final against Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Facing second down and 26 yards to go with a three-point deficit in overtime, Tagovailoa lofted a 41-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman DeVonta Smith to give the Tide a 26-23 win and the school’s 17th national championship.
As a full-time starter in 2018 as a sophomore, Tagovailoa threw 43 touchdown passes as UA advanced to the national title game before losing to Clemson.
As a junior, he threw for 33 touchdown passes in 2019 before his Nov. 16 injury against Mississippi State in Starkville.
Among the records he has set at Alabama are:
• Most career passing touchdowns: 87
• Total touchdowns in a season: 48 in 2018
• Most passing touchdowns in a game: Six in 2019
• Most four-touchdown games in a season: Six in 2018
• Most games with 300 passing yards in a season: Six in 2018
