Nigerian heritage -NFL Dolphins select talent of Samoan

 Miami Dolphins, who haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1974 and haven’t won an NFL playoff game since 2000, have turned to Samoan- and Nigerian-heritage talent to succeed.

Miami selected Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the fifth pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft and chose Auburn cornerback Noah Igbinoghene with the 30th selection of the opening round.

Now the college foes from arch-rival schools, where Igbinoghene defended throws from left-handed Hawaiian passer Tagovailoa, will unite to try and revive a moribund Miami squad.The Dolphins have managed only one winning campaign since 2008 and are coming off a 5-11 campaign that was their worst since a one-win 2007 effort.

Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a national title in the 2017 season and a runner-up 2018 finish, going 22-2 as a starter while completing 69.3 percent of his passes for 7,442 yards and 87 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions.

“A dream come true,” Tua said after being selected by the Dolphins. “A special day for both me and my family.”

Tagovailoa, 22, was the oldest of four children in a Samoan family whose grandfather nurtured his love of American football.

The Dolphins, who selected Southern California offensive tackle Austin Jackson 18th overall as long-term protection for Tagovailoa, then went for Igbinoghene with their third pick in the top 30.

Igbinoghene’s parents were both elite runners from Nigeria. His mother, Faith, won a bronze medal with the Nigerian 4×100 relay team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

His father, Festus, was a 1996 Olympic triple jumper and bronze medalist at the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games. He attended Mississippi State and won five conference crowns in the long and triple jumps.

Noah was among the top US high school triple jumpers and competed in college as well while turning his attention to the gridiron, where he began as a wide receiver and kick returner before shifting to the defensive side in 2018.

In two seasons, Igbinoghene started 22 of 26 games, made 92 tackles with one interception and broke up 18 passes. As a kick returner, he made 20 runbacks for 628 yards and two touchdowns, helping make him a team leader.

“He plays with an edge,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “And that carries over for a lot of people.”