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Tua Gets Strong Endorsement for Rookie Award

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was nominated for an NFL award for a second consecutive week
Alain Poupart|
Tua Gets Strong Endorsement for Rookie Award
Tua Gets Strong Endorsement for Rookie Award

Miami Dolphins first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa is among the five nominees for the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week for a second consecutive week, and he's got the vote of one of the other nominees.

That would be Cleveland Browns tackle Jedrick Wills, Tua's former teammate at the University of Alabama and a fellow first-round pick.

This was Wills' reaction to joining Tua as one of the nominees:

The other nominees for the award, voted on by fans with the winner revealed later in the week, are Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson and Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift.

Tagovailoa completed 15 of 25 passes for 169 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the 29-21 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Swift had 149 scrimmage yards (81 rushing, 68 receiving) and a touchdown in Detroit's 30-27 overtime victory against Washington; Higgins had seven catches for 115 yards and a score in a 36-10 loss against Pittsburgh; Jefferson had eight catches for 135 yards in a 17-13 victory against Chicago on Monday night; and Wills helped the Browns for an NFL-best 231 yards in their 10-7 victory against the Houston Texans.

If nothing else, the Dolphins ended the run of Rookie of the Week awards for Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert when they held him to a season-low 187 yards. Herbert had won the award each of the past three weeks and six times this season since taking over as the Chargers starting QB in Week 2.

Wills' endorsement of Tua for the award is just another example of what his former Bama teammates and even fellow alum think of him.

There was another such example after the game against the Chargers on Sunday when offensive lineman Damion Square came prepared with a Tua jersey and asked him to sign it.

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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