Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered another bad beat when he prematurely exited the Mississippi State game with a dislocated hip injury. X-rays revealed a posterior wall fracture, which will end the season for Tagovailoa. Bo Jackson, Heisman Trophy winner and dual-sport superstar, suffered a similar career-ending injury with the Oakland Raiders in 1991.
Mississippi State (4-5) came into this game as a +20 home dog against visiting Alabama (8-1). ‘Bama led 35-7 with three minutes remaining in the second quarter when Tagovailoa went down hard with an apparent hip injury.
ESPN’s sideline reporter commented Tagovailoa continuously screamed due to the pain while medical staff carted him off.
‘Bama head coach, Nick Saban said he wanted to take Tagovailoa out with a four-touchdown lead going into halftime, but Tagovailoa insisted on playing one more drive.
“It’s a freak thing that you seldom see,” said Saban.
Before the injury, Tua Tagovailoa completed 14 of 18 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns against the under matched Bulldogs.
Another Injury for Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa injured his left ankle earlier this season in a game against Tennessee. He opted for tightrope surgery to repair the ankle faster so he could return to action before the season ended. He had the same surgery performed on his right ankle after the SEC Championship last season.
The tough Tagovailoa missed only one start against Arkansas. He returned to the lineup in the Game of the Year against #2 LSU last weekend.
Alabama’s unbeaten season ended with a heartbreaking 46-41 loss to LSU. Tagovailoa started against the Tigers, but looked sluggish at times before shaking off the rust in the first half. Tagovailoa finished with 418 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
Alabama fell out of the Top 4 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. With a #5 ranking, ‘Bama is currently on the playoff bubble. The Crimson Tide need to win out the rest of their games, and get a little help with a loss from any of the top four teams.
Tagovailoa came into this season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman trophy. The junior QB threw 33 touchdowns, three interceptions, and boasts the second-best QBR in the nation with a 93.5 rating.
After an unexpected breakout season with undefeated LSU, QB Joe Burrow has become the front runner for the Heisman. Burrow threw 33 touchdowns, four interceptions, and had three rushing scores, giving him the third-best QBR with 92.6.
Update: Dislocation/Fracture Injury Similar to Bo Jackson
A couple of hours after the game ended, ESPN reported Tagovailoa will miss the remainder of the season after dislocating his hip and fracturing the posterior wall.
“I hate it when any player on our team gets injured,” said coach Saban. “Godspeed to him and his entire family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them, and hope this is not so serious it has any long-term effect on his future as a player.”
Dr. David Chao, former team doctor for the San Diego Chargers, tweeted, “Bo Jackson NFL career ended from hip fracture/dislocation that lead to avascular necrosis. Tua only has the first part. Hope he can avoid AVN. College season over and NFL status affected, but let’s not say career over yet. Fingers crossed.”
Heisman trophy winner Bo Jackson is the only athlete to appear in an All-Star game in both the NFL and MLB.
Jackson’s pro football career with the Los Angeles Raiders lasted only four seasons due to a similar career-ending injury. Jackson dislocated and fractured his hip in a playoff game in January 1991.
Jackson played two more seasons in pro baseball, but he was not the same hitter or fielder after the hip injury.