It’s become something of an unofficial tradition: Each off-season brings a new version of Tua. Some years he adds muscle; some years he trims down. Sometimes he braids his hair; sometimes he looks straight off a Paris fashion runway.
So with another Training Camp Look™ turning heads, we figured it’s the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the most unforgettable Tua transformations over the years.
Your @Pepsi Rookie of the Week. 😎👋#FinsUp x @Tua pic.twitter.com/Ib7k6BcSH7
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) December 11, 2020
Baby-Face Tua
Once upon a time, Baby-Face Tua was all we knew. The Tua Tagovailoa Dolphins fans fell in love with watching at Alabama is the Tua who entered the facility in 2020 bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, looking to take the league by storm. When Dolphins fans close their eyes, this is the Tua they see: a sweet, smiling version that arrived in Mami looking like he’d just gotten dropped off at practice by his mom.No facial hair, no frills — just a clean-cut kid who looked like he could’ve been your cousin’s prom date or the lead in a Disney Channel original movie.
He was our handsome little savior. A wholesome king.
🚨 Tua Tagovailoa has been named the 2023 Polynesian Player of the Year (@PolynesianFBHOF) #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/M7B4LbUBBN
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) January 11, 2024
Classic Tua
Classic Tua is like vanilla bean ice cream — traditional, but elevated. No longer a rookie, Tua transformed into a man before our eyes. He dealt with setbacks along the way, but one thing stayed the same: his pride in his Polynesian roots. This is the Tua who seemed to last the longest. This is the Tua you broke out from the chains Brian Flores had upon him as a young player and grew into his own.There was a calm confidence in this look, a reminder that you can take the quarterback out of Hawaii, but the aloha never leaves his swagger.
Tua did his best Drake impression 😂🎶
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 15, 2023
(via @MiamiDolphins) pic.twitter.com/X18Fn8hYCx
Drake Tua
Cornrows were a hell of a choice. Who can forget Drake Tua: a mix of Tha Dogg Pound and Drake, with a little bit of "Is he allowed to do that?" We checked the rule book and indeed he was.If memory serves correctly, Drake Tua was, thankfully, short-lived. Because, let's be honest, that looks like it hurts, and we all needed to move and act like it didn't happen.
Smoove.😂😂😂 https://t.co/sDz5Xd4FjC pic.twitter.com/aD4eKuh2gP
— I Ain't Him (@Phincane) May 1, 2024
Perry Ellis Tua
Perry Ellis Tua is the divorced Dad Tua you don't want coming around your mom. He clearly has ulterior motives and will have access to her mobile banking after the fourth date. He's smooth. Smooth enough to be an undercover police officer by day and a lounge owner by night. People call this Tua "Tua Bear," and it makes nobody uncomfortable at all.Perry Ellis is like Tua: Many have been sleeping on the product for years, but when you get up close and personal with it and really understand it, you realize it's top-tier.
Tua looks like he's about to fire up your quinceañero's guests with his rendition of "Suavemente" pic.twitter.com/PsQrUe08o0
— Brown Angel (@angelresto28) June 3, 2024
Macy's Tua
Is everything OK?! Press a number on your phone if you're in danger, Tua! Is Tua in the room with us?Everyone remembers where they were this time last year, when Tua dropped the most shocking Ozempic-Macy's mixtape of the summer. Mere months removed from looking well-fed at the Pro Bowl, Tua popped back on the scene looking not only lighter but brighter, with teeth a shade of white that only exists in Heaven.
Now that Macy's Tua is no more, we can all agree this legitimately frightened us. Not because he looked bad, but because Tua seemingly aged backward during the offseason and was now picking out school clothes for his freshman year in high school.
“Just did it,” Tua Tagovailoa on his new color. pic.twitter.com/XBDq1kqqaC
— Omar Kelly (@OmarKelly) October 30, 2024
Unc Tua
Late last season, we got Unc Tua back — the frosted tips god. From plump to skinny and now back to just right, this Tua would slide directly into a K-pop band if the opportunity presented itself.We're a big fan of this look because it feels extremely Miami, in that he shouldn't be able to pull it off but he does. Because Miami.
Dolphins leadership made sure Tua Tagovailoa heard it in the media this offseason about protecting himself. Tua talked the talk today but needs to walk the walk like he did in 2023.
— Kyle Crabbs (@KyleCrabbs) June 11, 2025
🔗⏬ pic.twitter.com/jnomXQOBnT
Braided Broward Tua
Tua lives in Davie, and it's clear that five years into his Florida residency, he has achieved peak Broward form.Braided Broward Tua didn’t just show up to training camp; he descended, rocking long, intricate braids, mirrored shades, and the type of confidence you only earn from surviving being a Miami Dolphin for five seasons. He's seen things!
This is the Tua you catch shopping at Coral Square Mall, walking out of the Lids store with a fresh fitted cap. Cooler than the older side of the pillow, this Tua smells like Cool Water cologne, as if it were emanating from your computer screen.
Whatever look Tua pulls out during the upcoming regular season, we hope — for his sake, especially — it's mostly concealed under a football helmet. That look is our favorite.
