Tyler Cameron, Tua Tagovailoa bond over Nick Saban stories in Cognizant Classic Pro-Am

PALM BEACH GARDENS — A Lombardi Trophy wasn't in the cards for Tua Tagovailoa this year, but the Dolphins' quarterback still has some new hardware to add to the collection in 2024.

The stage for the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches is set after Tagovailoa — along with "Bachelorette" TV star and Jupiter native Tyler Cameron, "professional YouTube golfer" Micah Morris, and PGA Tour pros Min Woo Lee and American Express champion Nick Dunlap — carded a 19-under 52 to win the event's Celebrity Pro-Am on Wednesday.

“Like I said out there on the range, I kind of knew we were going to win, came in here thinking we were going to win,” Tagovailoa said. “We won.”

Once the microphones and cameras ventured to capture hot sound bites from other groups, quick friends were made on the fairways as the foursome started the afternoon with Lee as their pro.

Tagovailoa bounced down the fourth hole of the Champion Course at PGA National with a grin:

"Now I can say what I want."

Tagovailoa remembers Alabama days on the fairway

On the sixth hole, the guys started joking with each other in Southern accents after Morris mentioned he was a native of Guthrie, Oklahoma. Cameron mentioned a viral skit from comedian Drew Desbordes, better known as "Druski," in which the social media celebrity was seen at an Alabama football tailgate among drunken fans shouting, "I don't give a .... 'bout 'nothin' but the Tide, baby."

Tagovailoa, who played and won a national championship for the Crimson Tide, lined up for his next drive with a smile.

"Don't give a ...," he said. Before he could finish the phrase, Tagovailoa was met by a sea of laughter from his partners and the gallery.

Amateur guests were comfortable on Lee's turf early on thanks to the 25-year-old's lighthearted demeanor — and an interest in college football that saw the crew find common ground to create a winning chemistry.

Lee, an Australian, was simply interested in learning the ropes of American football, the NFL and quarterback mechanics, receiving a quick lesson from Tagovailoa when he brought out a football midmatch for a game of catch with his teammates.

Morris brought up Tagovailoa's loaded Alabama squads that featured the likes of Raekwon Davis, Trevon Diggs, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Calvin Ridley and Jaylen Waddle, and asked who was the fastest receiver that the Pro Bowler has ever thrown to.

To Cameron's — and the majority's — surprise, it wasn't current teammate, Tyreek Hill.

"Henry Ruggs III ... he could beat Tyreek in a 200. Maybe even a 100," Tagovailoa said of his former Alabama teammate.

Ruggs was with the Las Vegas Raiders before his career ended in 2021 when he reached a plea arrangement after pleading guilty to one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and/or controlled or prohibited substance resulting in death and one count of misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. He now earns $2.50 an hour working in government offices in Carson City, Nevada, while serving his prison sentence.

One of Cameron and Tagovailoa's fairway chats consisted of their time competing in Division I.

Just a year before Tagovailoa led Alabama to the national championship as a freshman in 2017, Cameron's college career had come to a close. After growing to local fame as the quarterback for Jupiter High, Cameron decided to early enroll at Wake Forest before transferring to Florida Atlantic University and adjusting to tight end as a redshirt junior.

"Who'd you play for?" Tagovailoa asked.

Cameron name-dropped now-Colts defensive line coach Charlie Partridge. "Just missed Lane Kiffin," he continued.

You could guess which name came up next.

Bingo. Nick Saban.

How Nick Saban scarred 'Bachelor' star Tyler Cameron

Cameron, 31, began strolling down the memory lane that came with his own high school recruitment. Leaving former Jupiter coach Charlie Persson and the Warriors, he was ranked the No. 88 recruit in Florida and the No. 17 dual-threat quarterback in the nation.

Although Jupiter never had a winning season throughout Cameron's tenure, his size and skill made him a standout, so naturally his varsity years included a recruiting trip to Tuscaloosa in hopes of clinching a spot on Alabama's roster.

"We were doing passing drills and I threw after the horn blew .... best ball of the day," Cameron said.

The teenaged Cameron wasn't quite met by the reaction he expected for the dime he dropped at the camp. Especially considering that the Tide's quarterbacks coach at the time "told" him to do it.

"Saban comes running down the field at me, cussing me out," he recalled.

" 'What the F are you doing?' " Saban said in Cameron's retelling.

Tagovailoa verified.

"Sounds about right," he laughed.

There would be more salt in the wound for Cameron. When he ran into the seven-time national championship coach again years down the road and brought up the encounter during a more formal meeting, Cameron got a response that was peak Saban.

"It sounds like you deserved it," Saban said.

"I was like, 'Damn, Nick you're cold,' " Cameron laughed. There was still a tinge of pain from Saban's shrug and walk-off.

Dolphins quarterback shows new side in Cognizant Classic Pro-Am

Often displaying the demeanor of the husband and soon-to-be father at age 25 in Dolphins news conferences, Tagovailoa showed a side that was truer to his youth on Wednesday.

Laying his next shot up on the fairway of No. 8 after an impressive drive, Tagovailoa looked over to fans on the cart path.

"What do you guys think about this one? Where should I go? On the green?" he joked.

"If it were PlayStation I could help you," a spectator responded.

"I wish this was PlayStation. Oh my God," Tagovailoa said.

Despite a start on the day that featured failing chip shots that signaled disaster, Tagovailoa's powerful drives and iron shots offered no shortage of what would've been Sprite Cam-worthy moments if he'd been playing PGA 2K23.

Lee left the group on hole No. 9 to be subbed out for 20-year-old University of Alabama student Dunlap. Tagovailoa was excited to get to know the youngster the second he saw the embroidered crimson "A" on Dunlap's bag, but the group was sad to let their new "bro" go.

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To ease the heartbreak that came with the interruption of a budding new bromance, Lee parted with some words of encouragement for Tagovailoa.

"A couple lessons would be good," Lee said with no hint of sarcasm.

Playing off the whites for the purse isn't in the near future for Tagovailoa. For Lee and Dunlap on the other hand, their latest pursuit kicked off on Thursday morning.

Emilee Smarr is a sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tua Tagovailoa, Tyler Cameron team up to win Cognizant Classic Pro-Am