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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Aug. 23 (UPI) — Tua Tagovailoa, the quarterback of the Miami Dolphins, responded to criticisms of his weight from former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark. In a statement, Tagovailoa expressed his Samoan family’s commitment to respect but also warned Clark to be mindful of his words. He emphasized that Samoan people are tough-minded and can get scrappy if necessary.
“A little easy on that, buddy. We are pretty tough-minded people. If we need to get scrappy, we can get scrappy, too.”
Tagovailoa made these remarks following a practice session at the Baptist Health Training Complex. Clark had made comments about Tagovailoa’s weight during a recent episode of NFL Live.
“He wasn’t in the gym,” Clark said. “I bet you that. He might have spent a lot of time at the tattoo parlor. He was not at the dinner table, eating what the nutritionist had advised. He looks happy. He is thick.”
Clark, who played in the NFL from 2002 to 2014, criticized Tagovailoa’s fitness. However, Tagovailoa has been working on adding muscle during the off-season to better prepare for the upcoming 2023 season.
“You think I wanted to build all this muscle? Nah,” responded Tagovailoa, indirectly addressing Clark’s comments. “To some extent, I wanted to be a little lighter.
“There is a mixture of things people don’t understand or know about that are talked about that go on behind the scenes. I’d appreciate it if you kept my name out of your mouth.”
The Miami Dolphins will play their final preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 10, 2023, in Jacksonville, Florida. The regular season will commence with a game against the Los Angeles Chargers on September 10, 2023, in Inglewood, California.
