The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have signed Taulia Tagovailoa, former quarterback of Thompson High School and Maryland, to their practice squad, as announced on Monday by the Canadian Football League team.
Tagovailoa played for Alabama in 2019 before transferring to Maryland. Over four seasons with the Terrapins, he became the Big Ten’s all-time passing yards leader, completing 955-of-1,424 passes for 11,256 yards, with 76 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. At Maryland, he tied the school’s single-season record for touchdown passes with 26, a mark originally set by Scott Milanovich, now Hamilton’s coach.
During his time at Thompson High School in Alabaster, Tagovailoa was named the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s Class 7A Back of the Year in 2017 and 2018. He was the first player in Alabama high school history to record four 400-yard passing games, peaking with 507 yards in a victory over Oak Mountain on Sept. 14, 2018. As a senior, he threw for 3,728 yards and 35 touchdowns, leading the Warriors to the AHSAA Class 7A Championship Game, where they were defeated by Central-Phenix City. Tagovailoa sustained a shoulder injury during the semifinals, which kept him from finishing the title game.
At Alabama, Tagovailoa was behind his brother Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones on the depth chart. In the 2019 season, he completed 9-of-12 passes for 100 yards and one touchdown.
Initially planning to play another college season in 2024, Tagovailoa entered the NCAA transfer portal and sought a waiver for a sixth year of eligibility. The waiver request cited that he played minimal snaps in two of his five games in 2019. Despite the pandemic-related eligibility rules, the NCAA denied his request. Tagovailoa then declared for the NFL Draft, participated in rookie minicamps for the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals, but was not drafted.
Hamilton’s season began with a 32-24 loss to the Calgary Stampeders. Tiger-Cats quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 300 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The team also has quarterbacks Taylor Powell and Hamilton Frost on their roster. The Tiger-Cats’ home opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. CDT Sunday against the Saskatchewan Roughriders at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario.
Several players from Alabama high schools and colleges are on CFL rosters, including:
**British Columbia Lions**
– Chris Schleuger (UAB)
**Calgary Stampeders**
– B.J. Emmons (Alabama)
**Edmonton Elks**
– Woodly Appolon (Tuskegee)
– D.K. Bonhomme (South Alabama)
– Jermaine Brown Jr. (St. Luke’s, UAB) [Practice Squad]
– Devodric Bynum (UAB)
– Jarret Doege (Troy)
– Reynard Ellis (Shades Valley, UAB) [Practice Squad]
– Kordell Jackson (Ramsay)
– Kyran Moore (McAdory) [Six-game Injured List]
**Hamilton Tiger-Cats**
– Kelle Sanders (UAB)
– Will Sunderland (Troy)
– Taulia Tagovailoa (Thompson, Alabama) [Practice Squad]
**Ottawa Redblacks**
– Nick Mardner (Auburn)
– Eli Stove (Auburn)
**Saskatchewan Roughriders**
– Anthony Lanier II (Alabama A&M)
– Zakoby McClain (Auburn) [Practice Squad]
– Rolan Milligan Jr. (UAB)
**Toronto Argonauts**
– Darius Joiner (Handley, Jacksonville State)
**Winnipeg Blue Bombers**
– Myron Mitchell (Jasper, UAB)
– Kendall Randolph (Bob Jones, Alabama) [Practice Squad]