University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will miss the rest of the 2019 season after suffering a hip injury on Saturday against Mississippi State. And on Sunday, the team surgeon, Dr. Lyle Cain, announced that Tagovailoa will have surgery on the hip on Monday. He was flown to Houston on Sunday night and he’s scheduled to make a full recovery.
“For the past 24 hours our medical team has consulted with multiple orthopedic experts across the country, who specialize in hip injuries and surgeries,” Cain said in a statement, per Pro Football Talk. “Based on that research, Tua is being flown to Houston tonight to be evaluated and is scheduled to have hip surgery Monday.
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“As previously stated, we anticipate a full recovery. The main focus has been, and will remain, on Tua, his family, and making sure we are providing them the best medical care possible.”
The injury occurred late in the second quarter when Alabama was leading Mississippi State 35-7. With the Crimson Tide having a big lead at the point in the game, many were wondering why was Tagovailoa was still in.
“It’s kind of a freak thing that you seldom see,” coach Nick Saban said. “He was good, at least as good as he was a week ago in terms of his ability to move. I don’t think anything he did affected his performance in the first half. So the guy played, and I thought he played really well. And we hate it that he got injured.
“We hate it for him. We hate it for his family. I hate it when any player on our team gets injured. So Godspeed to him and his entire family and our thoughts and prayers are with them and hope this is not so serious it has any long-term effect on his future as a player.”
When Tagovailoa heard the news of his injury, he went to Twitter to send a message to the fans. He wrote, “Thank you all for the prayers and well wishes! God always has a plan.”
The Alabama star quarterback is the reigning SEC Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 3,966 yards, 42 touchdowns and six interceptions last season. He led the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff National Champion Game in 2018 and he won the title during his freshman season in 2017.
