Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa has priceless reaction to Nick Saban's retirement as Alabama lands new HC: "Doesn't even feel real"

Nick Saban and Tua Tagovailoa shared a special bond in Alabama that culminated in a national championship title. But when Saban announced that he was retiring, the news surprised his former quarterback as much as anybody under the sun. And his reaction to the news ended up being a priceless one.

The new episode of "Hard Knocks", featuring the Miami Dolphins, captured the moment when Tagovailoa got to know about Saban’s retirement. The quarterback was sitting with some of his teammates as he checked his phone and found out about the decision:

“Oh damn…Saban is retiring?” Tua Tagovailoa exclaimed.

His teammates didn't believe the news at first and thought Tagovailoa was joking. But slowly, reality dawned on them as he showed his phone to the others:

“Dude look at this,” he said, turning his phone to his teammates.

While the others came to terms with the gravity of such a mammoth decision, Tagovailoa revealed what he thought about all of it. And he wasn't alone in feeling that way:

“It doesn't even feel real,” he added.

Coach Saban announced his retirement on Wednesday after 17 years of success with the Alabama Crimson Tide. And with that, his 50-year-long journey, 28 of which were as a head coach, came to an end with just one announcement. The legendary head coach won seven national titles with two different schools. But he will be remembered the most for the six he won in Tuscaloosa. And one of them involved Tagovailoa as his quarterback.

How Tua Tagovailoa performed under Nick Saban

Tua Tagovailoa spent three seasons under Nick Saban's guidance in Alabama from 2017 to 2019. In his freshman year itself, the quarterback featured as a backup to Jalen Hurts but still managed decent playing time due to the team’s dominance on the field.

But he got the chance of his lifetime when he replaced Hurts during the national championship game against the Georgia Bulldogs. He led a remarkable comeback in the second half to lift the national title and was named the offensive MVP of the game.

Alabama v Auburn: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide stands on the sidelines during the final seconds of the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Tua Tagovailoa played 32 games for Alabama during his three seasons, throwing for a total of 7,442 passing yards. He scored 87 passing touchdowns while throwing 11 interceptions. And these numbers were enough to get him drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 2020 NFL draft.