Taulia Tagovailoa praises Maryland teammates after win for 'no opt-outs'

After Maryland’s Pinstripe Bowl win over Virginia Tech, Taulia Tagovailoa praised his teammates for their mindset and having no “opt-outs” for the game. The Terrapins beat Virginia Tech on Wednesday 54-10, ending their season with a huge win to finish 7-6 on the year.

Taulia Tagovailoa on Maryland’s bowl win

“I’m happy our game didn’t get cancelled — all the stuff going on,” said Tagovailoa after the game. “I think our whole mindset was just, we have another opportunity to play. If you look at our team we had no opt-outs. We’ve got people going into the league, but coach said ‘this is just what we do.’ We just love playing football. We enjoy playing with one another. We’re really like brothers. So our mindset was just make use of our opportunity and play one more time today.”

While Tagovailoa didn’t mention any specific names, his mention of nobody opting out of the bowl game comes after Big Ten rival Ohio State had four stars opt out of their upcoming game. Maryland had no players skip the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft, something that Tagovailoa claims is part of their team identity.

With their huge lead over the Hokies, Tagovailoa was pulled out of the game early to allow for Maryland’s bench to get involved in the action. Cameras caught Tagovailoa cheering excitedly for his teammates, celebrating their plays and enjoying the win.

“Me cheering on all the brothers — they’re the reason why we’re better,” said Tagovailoa of his sideline cheering. “They give us looks — whether it’s on scout — they always support us and they never get credit for it. And I think every time they get to go in, man it’s just an awesome feeling. Also making their dreams come true, getting to play in a bowl game — and just having fun.”

Before finishing his postgame interview, Tagovailoa was asked if his family had any plans on moving to Maryland to be closer to him. He mentioned his brother [Tua Tagovailoa] living in Miami with a laugh, saying his family moving would mean a lot of travel for his parents. Tagovailoa joined Maryland as a transfer from Alabama in 2020, leaving his family’s home in Alabama. While he doesn’t think his parents have any need to move to Maryland, he closed his interview by saying it would be their decision.