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Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and former Las Vegas wide receiver Henry Ruggs once shared the field together at the University of Alabama.
The two entered the NFL draft and began their respective careers professionally in 2020.
Ruggs III was involved in a deadly car accident on November 2, 2021, and was charged with reckless driving and driving under the influence, resulting in death. He was driving his Corvette at 156 mph before slamming his brakes and smashing into a Toyota RAV 4 at 120 mph, killing the driver and her dog.
Shortly after the horrific incident, Tagovalioa commented on what happened in disbelief. He said that you'd never think a guy like Ruggs III would hurt a soul and that it was a tough situation.
Tagovailoa said via the Sun Sentinel's David Furones:
"That's tough. My heart goes out to the families affected by what happened, the choices and decisions. You'd never think this guy could hurt a soul."
Tua Tagovailoa and Henry Ruggs III were teammates for three seasons at the University of Alabama
Tagovailoa and Ruggs III were teammates at Alabama from 2017-2019. The two won a national championship together in 2017 and had a lot of success together in college.
Both were drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa was drafted fifth overall by the Miami Dolphins, becoming the second quarterback taken in the draft after Joe Burrow.
Ruggs III was selected seven picks later, 12th overall, by the Las Vegas Raiders.
At the time, it looked as if the two Alabama superstars were going to shine for years in the NFL.
In 13 games played, Ruggs finished his rookie year with 26 receptions, 452 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. In Tagovailoa's rookie season, he finished 6-3 as the starting quarterback with a quarterback rating of 87.1.
Ruggs looked like he was going to make strides in his second season. He had 24 receptions, 469 receiving yards, and two touchdowns in seven games before his arrest for the fatal car crash ended his career.
Tagovailoa went 7-5 in his second season and picked up the pace in his third season. In 2022, he is having an MVP campaign.
For one of the Alabama teammates, his legacy was tarnished, and his career ended before it started, while the other is finding his groove in the NFL to become a superstar.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Tua Tagovailoa, Adam Beasley, David Furones, and H/T Sportskeeda
