Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returned to Tuscaloosa after having “successful” hip surgery Monday in Houston, following a season-ending injury in the Crimson Tide’s win over Mississippi State last Saturday. He is expected to make a full recovery, but it’s possible that was the last time fans will see him playing in an Alabama uniform.
Tagovailoa greeted his teammates Friday ahead of their team dinner and game against Western Carolina on Saturday in Week 13. And they were thrilled to see him, along with coach Nick Saban, who even posed for a selfie with the recovering quarterback.
The Crimson Tide’s Twitter account shared a touching video of Tagovailoa’s return and his teammates’ reactions Friday night.
“It was really good last night,” Saban said Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. “He came to the team dinner. He’s always very positive. Great spirit. Really good to have him back. He wanted to come to the game today, so we’ll see how that goes.”
The Crimson Tide also decorated Tagovailoa’s scooter to give it a personal touch. The junior quarterback has documented much of the support he’s received on his Instagram stories.
With Tagovailoa out for the season, sophomore quarterback Mac Jones is stepping up as the starter. Jones also filled in against Arkansas when Tagovailoa was recovering from an ankle injury earlier this season.
