Tua Tagovailoa donates $10,000 to Dolphins fan who died in motorcycle crash
Each NFL team has their super fans, the ride-or-die types who cheer even when on-field moments feel so dire. Tua Tagovailoa had such a person. The quarterback knew him as FinsVicious and that he ran the account, TuAnon.
Eric Carmona would put on a Dolphins mask and create videos in support of Tua and all the Dolphins. He and his family of six lived outside San Diego, three times zones away from balmy Miami. But distance didn’t dampen Carmona’s support for his Fins. Carmona came to love the Dolphins when he was stationed in south Florida while in the Navy.
On June 1, Carmona died in a motorcycle accident on his way to work. He was only 30. Carmona left a wife and four children to mourn his loss. And outside his family, mourners also included Tua Tagovailoa. A friend set up a GoFundMe account for Carmona’s young family. Here’s how he described FinsVicious:
“Eric Carmona … was a proud Navy veteran, and a die hard Miami Dolphins and Tua fan. But, most importantly, he was a great husband to Vanessa and an amazing father to his 4 children. Eric passed away Thursday early morning on his way to work at the young age of 30 and he will be missed by everyone who has been touched by his words and friendship.”
When he learned of Carmona’s death, Tua kicked in $10,000 to the family fund. He also tweeted a link to the fundraiser and encouraged his fans to pitch in. The quarterback said prayers also were welcome. “It would mean a lot,” he said. As of Friday morning, the fund was just short of $100,000.
Then in an interview after practice, Tagovailoa said of Carmona “he basically not just covered me, but the entire Dolphins. … I just want his wife and his kids to know we’re praying for them and that we’re thinking of them.”
Miami receiver Tyreek Hill donated $7,000 to the Carmona family cause. Other Dolphins and front office types followed suit. The guys at ProFootballTalk kicked in donations of $2,500 and $1,000. And fellow fans recognized passion even if it’s for a different team. That’s why the Bills Mafia also is raising money to help. It all was to recognize a man they knew from social media who loved his Dolphins.
Carmona’s last post about Tua Tagovailoa was last month. He wrote “Tua is jacked. He will have his best season yet. Tua has heard the disrespect. There will be redemption. There will be apologies. When Tua takes over as the best quarterback in the AFC East, we will not accept apologies of the fake news sports media.”
Gloria Palafox, Carmona’s mother, said she was “thrilled” that so many people were rallying to support her son’s family.
“I can just imagine how Eric would feel if he would see this and I am so grateful,” Palafox told CBS. “There are no words to express my gratitude for what they’ve done for the family because I know his family is going to need it.”