Ryan Clark is throwing in the white flag and doing the right thing.
Earlier this week, Clark pointed to the amount of weight Tagovailoa might have seemingly gained during the offseason while even suggesting that the Dolphins signal caller had skipped some gym sessions. He also stated he was built like a thick stripper.
Tagovailoa took exception to Clark’s remarks and issued a response on Wednesday.
“I’d appreciate if you kept my name out of your mouth,” Tagovailoa said during a session with reporters. “That’s what I’d say.”
“And if we need to get scrappy, we can get scrappy, too. Just saying.”
Instead of firing back at Tua — Clark took the high road and delivered a heartfelt apology in a released video on Thursday.
“When I decided to do TV I had 2 main priorities,” Clark posted on the platform formerly known as Twitter. “1. Respect all NFL players, coaches, executives, and staff members. 2. Earn and keep the respect of those very same people. Those priorities are important to me, and when I miss that mark, I have to hold myself accountable. This game is difficult. Players sacrifice so much to be a part of the 1%. I have a responsibility to those players to be thoughtful in the way I present my opinions of them. In joking about Tua Tagovailoa, I didn’t meet that responsibility. It was never my intention to question Tua’s work ethic or commitment to the game, but I’m also aware enough to know that intent, doesn’t always match impact. How something is presented isn’t always how it’s received by everyone. I do my best to be honest when executing my job as well as being honest when I fall short. I fell short on Monday and for that, I genuinely apologize.”
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“If I’ve offended you, Tua, if I hurt you, if I disrespected you, if anybody that supports and love you feels some sort of way because of what I said, I truly apologize,” Clark said.
Clark also admitted that his initial reaction to Tua’s public comments was far different. “My ego was involved,” Clark said. “When Tua was asked about how he felt about these comments and he said, ‘Keep my name out your mouth,’ yeah, my first thought is, ‘Or what?’ Or he says he’s scrappy, I think to myself, ‘Man, I fed my family on violence. I ain’t tripping on that.’”
The Dolphins roster currently lists Tagovailoa at 227 pounds.
Tua Tagovailoa is entering his fourth year with the Miami Dolphins. He suffered multiple head injuries during the 2022 season, and is at a pivotal point in his NFL career heading into the 2023 campaign so this situation is not something he should’ve had to deal with.
Clark spent 13 years with four NFL teams, winning a Super Bowl with the Steelers.
