Miami Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa: Shedding Brian Flores' doubts took two years

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Tua Tagovailoa says it took two years to shed mental doubts planted by former Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores . Credit can go largely to to current coach Mike McDaniel, who says his goal is reaching new heights for his players.

"I think I'm not spending much time patting myself on the back for much," McDaniel said Monday at the Baptist Health Training Complex in Miami Gardens, Fla.

"There are a lot of players who have grown since I've been here, and that growth is all that I care about -- the inherent growth that they've already had.

"I'm just really focused on pushing guys to be the best version of themselves, reach new heights, and that's got me plenty occupied."

Tagovailoa, who had criticized Flores, spoke about his former coach in a recent interview with the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, published Monday.

The Dolphins star, who was benched multiple times by Flores early on during his NFL tenure, transformed into a $212.4 million quarterback under McDaniel.

"If you woke up every morning and I told you that you suck at what you did, that you don't belong, that you shouldn't be here, that you haven't earned this...

and then someone come and tells you, 'You are the best fit for this...How you that make you feel?"

- @Tua describes the... pic.twitter.com/bBHI6IsVlj — Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 19, 2024

"To put it in simplest terms," Tagovailoa said of Flores's approach, if you woke up every morning and I told you that you sucked at what you did, that you don't belong doing what you do, that you shouldn't be here, that this guy should be here, that you haven't earned this right," that would penetrate deeply.

"Then you have somebody else come in and tell you, 'Dude you are the best fit for this. You are accurate, you are the best whatever ... how would it make you feel listening to one or the other?

"You hear it, regardless of what it is, the good or the bad, you hear it more and more, and you start to believe it."

Tagovailoa's journey from a coveted prospect to a lambasted No. 5 overall pick took its most positive turn when the Dolphins hired McDaniel in 2022.

The ricochet into stardom included a lot of self-reflection, as well as positive reinforcement from McDaniel, who at one point showed Tagovailoa a 700-play highlight reel as a gesture signifying his belief in the quarterback.

"I don't care who you are, you could be the president of the United States, you have a terrible person who's telling you things you don't want to hear and that you probably shouldn't be hearing, you are going to start to believing that about yourself," Tagovailoa said of Flores.

"That's sort of what ended up happening. It's basically been two years of training that out of not just me, but a couple of the guys, as well, who have been here from my rookie year all the way to now."

Dolphins offensive tackle Austin Jackson was another notable player who often was criticized during Flores' tenure, which ended with a firing a month before McDaniel arrived. Tagovailoa and the Dolphins right tackle recalled last year that they often had been called out in meetings by the Flores-led staff.

"It was truly remarkable to sit in those meetings and have things told about you that you know aren't true, but get planted in your head," Tagovailoa said at the time. "And you have the media on you, as well. Then, you have someone like Mike [McDaniel] and his coaching staff come in and basically just build you back up."

Jackson, also a first-round pick in 2020, received the 109th-best rating among tackles as rookie, according to Pro Football Focus. He was the No. 95 guard a season later. He played just two games in 2022, but was rated the No. 41 tackle in 2023, his first full season under McDaniel.

McDaniel said it's hard for him to "really appropriately assess" the differences in development since Flores' tenure, but players say their resurgence is proof that his positive-leaning coaching style has worked.

"There is a lot of negative in the world and a lot of people telling you when you do stuff wrong," McDaniel said. "For me, I think to raise someone, to really maximize someone, I think it's beneficial for someone to be showing them a vision of their greatest self.

"Quite honestly, I think it's something I've drawn in my life. I know if my mother didn't pitch to me that I was worth something, I don't know where I would be. For me, that's the way I approach it.

"I don't think there is any absolute way to do anything, but for me to reach players, it's what's made sense in my journey, and I just stick to myself and what makes sense for me to do my job as I see it for them."