Ryan Clark later clarified by saying he was joking, but he stood by his comments
Tua Tagovailoa is entering his fourth year with the Miami Dolphins. Tagovailoa suffered multiple head injuries during the 2022 season, and is at a pivotal point in his NFL career heading into the 2023 campaign.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide standout is well aware of what is at stake this season, and he presumably spent the offseason working on his body and his game. But, Tagovailoa was recently the subject of a critique from former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark.
Clark pointed to the amount of weight Tagovailoa might have seemingly gained during the offseason. Clark suggested that the Dolphins signal caller had skipped some gym sessions. Tagovailoa took exception to Clark's remarks and issued a response on Wednesday.
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Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins takes the field prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on December 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Tagovailoa typically chooses his words carefully when he is speaking pubically, but Clark's comments seemed to bring out some fire from within him.
"I'd appreciate if you kept my name out of your mouth," Tagovailoa said during a session with reporters."That's what I'd say."
Clark also suggested that Tagovailoa spent an unnecessary amount of time focusing on tattoos. The Dolphins quarterback has an arm-sleeve tattoo, something he did not have last season.
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Clark spent 13 years with four NFL teams, winning a Super Bowl with the Steelers. His criticism of Tagovailoa came during a discussion on ESPN's "NFL Live" about how the quarterback performed in a preseason game.
"Let me tell you what (Tagovailoa) wasn't doing: He wasn't in the gym, I'll bet you that," Clark said. "He might spend a lot of time in the tattoo parlor. He was not at the dinner table eating what the nutritionist had advised.
"He looks happy. He is thick."
Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins throws a pass during practice at Baptist Health Training Complex on June 08, 2023 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Tagovailoa called Clark's comments "a little weird."
"I mean, (Clark) probably knows more about me than I know about myself," Tagovailoa said, in an apparent sarcastic tone. "I don't know. Ryan's been out of the league for some time. I don't know. It's a little weird when other people are talking about other people when they're not that person. It was just a little weird."
The normally soft-spoken Tagovailoa then put his fiery side on full display.
"Like my background, I come from a Samoan family. Respect is everything," he said. "But if it does get to a point where — hey, (let's take it) a little easy on that, buddy, because I think we're pretty tough-minded people.
"And if we need to get scrappy, we can get scrappy, too. Just saying."
Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins takes the field prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Hard Rock Stadium on December 25, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Clark did not back down from his comments, but clarified that he was joking when he described Tagovailoa's work ethic.
"I 100% take accountability for it!! I said it!! I meant it!! It was a joke!! If asked why I said it by Tua I would tell him," Clark wrote in a social media post. "I have 0 issues looking a man in the eye and telling my truth. I accept any consequence."
The Dolphins roster currently lists Tagovailoa at 227 pounds.
"I think we all worked hard throughout the offseason," he said. "And I'm not someone to talk about myself the entire time, but it takes a lot. Do you think I wanted to build all this muscle? To some extent, I wanted to be a little lighter.
"There's a mixture of things that people don't understand, that people don't know about, that are talked about that go behind the scenes."
Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
