Tua says he lost consciousness after being hit

MIAMI -- Speaking Wednesday for the archetypal clip since sustaining a concussion connected Sept. 29, Miami Dolphins backmost Tua Tagovailoa said helium remembers astir of that nighttime but mislaid consciousness aft a deed that sent him to a section hospital.

He was concussed successful Miami's nonaccomplishment to the Cincinnati Bengals successful Week 4 erstwhile helium deed his caput connected the crushed portion trying to widen a play, and was concisely hospitalized earlier being discharged and returning to Florida with the squad aft the game.

Tagovailoa said helium doesn't retrieve what happened instantly aft hitting his caput connected the crushed and losing consciousness, but does retrieve being driven to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center via ambulance, arsenic good arsenic his travel backmost to Miami with his teammates aboriginal the adjacent morning.

"I wouldn't accidental it was scary for maine astatine the clip due to the fact that determination was a constituent wherever I was unconscious, truthful I couldn't truly archer what was going on," helium said. "When I did travel to and benignant of realized what was going connected and what was happening, I didn't deliberation of thing agelong word oregon abbreviated term. I was conscionable wondering what happened."

Dolphins manager Mike McDaniel said Monday that it's successful the quarterback's competitory quality to effort to widen plays -- but helium spoke with Tagovailoa astir recognizing erstwhile it's clip to concede successful immoderate fixed play and propulsion the shot away.

Tagovailoa admitted that though it's ever been his mindset to marque thing hap erstwhile he's connected the field, helium volition person to larn erstwhile to judge that a play is dead.

"Throwing the shot distant hasn't been thing that I've done successful the past truly well," helium said. "Because I'm trying to marque plays and truthful conscionable learning from that -- if it's not there, it's OK to propulsion it away. It's the longevity of maine conscionable being capable to beryllium the backmost for this squad and not effort to marque thing retired of nothing.

"Plays volition travel to america and that's benignant of what our mantra for our discourtesy is."

Tagovailoa said the enactment helium received pursuing the concussion stands retired astir to him astir the events of the past fewer weeks.

Beyond the messages and tweets from chap players astir the league, Tagovailoa said his neighbors brought implicit home-baked goods, candies and notes and artwork from their kids -- each of which, helium said, made helium and his household consciousness the enactment from his community.

What made his astir 2 weeks distant from shot difficult, however, was having to basal by idly arsenic the Dolphins skidded to a three-game losing streak successful his absence. Tagovailoa was contiguous passim the installation portion successful concussion protocol and sought to assistance nevertheless helium could. But it was frustrating not being capable to assistance retired connected the field.

"There's things you tin bash successful the locker country to support the guys encouraged, to support the guys going motivated," helium said. "But it sucks. As a competitor, I privation to beryllium retired determination with the guys. I privation to beryllium capable to spell retired determination and assistance our guys triumph games. And that's a unspeakable feeling that I could lone ticker from the sidelines."

Tagovailoa cleared concussion protocol Saturday, though helium was not progressive for the Dolphins' crippled against the Minnesota Vikings successful Week 6. He is preparing arsenic the team's starter this week for Sunday night's crippled against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The NFL's person successful QBR astatine the clip of his wounded successful Week 4, Tagovailoa said the process of his instrumentality to the tract was "pretty stressful," including his interviews with the NFL and NFLPA arsenic portion of its associated probe into however helium was handled.

The Dolphins person seen a crisp diminution successful their violative ratio without Tagovailoa connected the field. Through the archetypal 3 weeks of the season, they ranked archetypal and 2nd successful the league successful points per thrust and violative expected points added, respectively. In the clip since, they've fallen to 28th successful violative EPA and 29th successful points per drive.

It's a akin concern arsenic Tagovailoa faced past season, erstwhile helium returned from a rib wounded to a squad connected a four-game losing streak. He said that acquisition taught him not to property upon his instrumentality and that helium is not solely liable for the Dolphins' success.

"I conscionable gotta beryllium myself -- I'm not the savior of this team," helium said. "I don't conscionable travel successful and we commencement winning games. It's a squad deal. The defence gets america stops, the discourtesy goes and puts points connected the committee and the defence tin assistance enactment points connected the committee arsenic good arsenic peculiar teams. So for me, I conscionable look astatine it arsenic coming into this week and conscionable beryllium myself. Don't effort to unit anything. Don't effort to marque plays that aren't determination -- conscionable springiness our playmakers the shot and fto them spell to work."