Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa Claps Back at Ryan Clark’s Savage Stripper Jab

Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL. However, he’s also been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism throughout what has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride in his first two seasons in the league.

Ryan Clark Rips Tua Tagovailoa’s Lack of Offseason Work

Tagovailoa’s summer regimen recently drew a harsh assessment from former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark, who now plies his trade as a football analyst with NFL. Speaking on a recent episode of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown, Clark even went as far as saying that Tua looked like a stripper as he slammed the Dolphins star’s supposed lack of offseason work:

“Let me tell you what he wasn’t doing: He wasn’t in the gym, I’ll bet you that,” Clark said (h/t Safid Deen of USA TODAY). “He might spend a lot of time in the tattoo parlor. He was not at the dinner table eating what the nutritionist had advised. He looks ‘happy.’ He is thick. He’s built like the girls working at Onyx right now.”

Tua Tagovailoa’s Strong Reaction to Ryan Clark’s Harsh Criticism

Tagovailoa has now broken his silence over the disrespectful comments and it is clear that the 25-year-old isn’t one bit happy about what Clark had to say about him:

“My background, I come from a Samoan family. Respect is everything. But it does get to a point where, hey, a little easy on that buddy. I think we’re pretty tough-minded people. And if we need to get scrappy, we can get scrappy, too,” Tagovailoa said.

“I’m not someone to talk about myself the entire time, but it takes a lot. You think I wanted to build all this muscle? To some extent, I wanted to be a little lighter. There’s a mixture of things that people don’t understand that people don’t know about that are talked about behind the scenes.

“I’d appreciate if you kept my name out your mouth, that’s what I’d say.”

I’m not exactly sure what Tagovailoa meant when he talked about “getting scrappy” but there’s no denying that he feels offended by Clark’s earlier statement.

Then again, Tua has been in this position in the past so this is not entirely new for him. What matters the most is what he’s going to do on the field for the Miami Dolphins come opening night.

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