FULL Interview with Tua's Trainer: Nick Hicks aka Per4orm

[Hoot]

Lynn Bowden
"Every session with Tua, Lynn Bowden was there." "He's gonna find his spot. He is that good."

Chase Edmonds trains with them as well.
"He is up there with the best of the RBs I've worked with. He came to me and said I need to work on outside zone stuff. I don't need inside zone, I've been doing that for years. He is one of the first RBs to tell me specifically what he wants to work on."

What have you heard about HC McDaniel?
"Every guy that I've talked to on the team, told me the reason they signed with Miami is because of him. OR, they've never experienced an NFL locker room like this one. Whether it was Miami's last year, or the Cardinals, etc. They've never experienced a locker room like this. It is refreshing, it is fun. They are building something very special there. And it has everything to do with McDaniel and Frank, and Bev, and Sam Madison, and Pat Surtain, Wes Welker. They have put together a group of amazing human beings. Not just amazing football coaches. Those players are gonna fight for those coaches all season."

Flores
"Albert Wilson told me playing for Miami last year was the strangest year of football he has ever experienced in his life. It was wild. They had to walk in single file lines down the hallway, nobody was talking, everyone walking on pins and needles, just a finger pointing game all the time in meetings." "We have a new coach who is encouraging, smart, understands the players' psyche is very important to their performance, so we have to bring the best out of them."

"Tua was so excited and invested going into last year." "And to go to Tua having to step up to Flores, on behalf of the team, telling Flores he can't talk to people like that....Tua wasn't standing up for himself he was standing up for the entire team." "Tua is the most humble dude. How far do you have to push a kid to get him to that point?"

"Xavien Howard hated that man. He hated Flores' guts. Now, Xavien Howard went and got the peace sign tattoo on his neck, said he is in a much better place now."

Tua Tagovailoa
"Number one goal this offseason was getting his legs in shape, and his lower body in shape....and not just strength but speed....his throwing power comes heavily from his lower half."

Nick Hicks reached out to Tua's father to brainstorm some ideas for training Tua. He wanting to bring in and incorporate some of the drills they have done in the past.

 

[fin007]

“"Tua was so excited and invested going into last year." "And to go to Tua having to step up to Flores, on behalf of the team, telling Flores he can't talk to people like that....Tua wasn't standing up for himself he was standing up for the entire team." "Tua is the most humble dude. How far do you have to push a kid to get him to that point?"

If that isn’t leadership, then I don’t know what leadership is…

 

[djphinfan]

Lynn Bowden fan here myself, he's a dog that bites. good possession receiver, strong, will get yac..Kid could do some wildcat stuff but with a throwing threat.

harsh comment about X hating Flores guts..

 

[Demp444]

The Phillips part about having to hire a confidence therapist due to how he was treated by the staff was really eye opening. The Flores issue was much deeper than Tua.

 

[mekadave]

Wow. I knew it was bad, but DAMN.

 

[djphinfan]

barry jackson goes even deeper here, mods this is not the full article, the link only leads to paywall..



The pervasive optimism about Tua Tagovailoa around the Dolphins organization isn’t merely rooted in the fact that his supporting cast has been augmented and that an offensive savant — with a quarterback-friendly offense to boot — has been hired as head coach. It’s also rooted in the reality that he’s in a better place physically, with a leaner physique, a stronger arm and a fully healed body. For the latter, credit Tagovailoa’s dedication to a strenuous offseason regimen, and credit his trainer, Nick Hicks, for implementing that program and guiding him every step of the way. “He ended up throwing 71 [air yards],” Hicks said in a phone conversation with the Miami Herald this week. “I don’t think he could have thrown 71 last offseason. “He can push the ball down the field. He’s throwing the ball 50, 60 yards multiple times a practice. He is throwing the ball completely differently, with more confidence, more rhythm. His lower half is in shape. I feel he’s back to where he was when he was the sharpest quarterback in the NCAA.”

Not only is Tagovailoa’s lower body strong — now 2 1/2 years removed from a serious hip injury — but his body fat has dropped from 16 percent about 18 months ago to 9 percent now. To understand how far Tagovailoa has come from the serious hip injury sustained during his final season at Alabama — one that affected his effectiveness as an NFL rookie — allow Hicks to take us back to January 2021, when Tagovailoa was coming off his first season as a Dolphin. “Last year, we needed to rebuild the engine, start from scratch,” Hicks said. “Just a very long year of no breaks. He had a pretty bad injury. He was focusing on staying healthy. “When I got my hands on Tua last year, at the end of his rookie season, he was at 60 percent health. There were basic movements I took him through with range of motion, strength, stability and making sure he didn’t have any setbacks with the hip. The mobility of the hip wasn’t great.”

And then the 2021 season “was a good year, but there were some things he could have done better.” So Hicks crafted a plan that he shared with Tagovailoa over breakfast after the 2021 season ended. “We talked about what he wanted to work on, what I wanted to work on — footwork, mobility in the pocket, burning fat, trying not to be as big as last year,” Hicks said. “Flo [Brian Flores] wanted him to be a certain weight so he could take on hits, which was crazy to me. This year, the plan was lean muscle mass and decrease muscle mass and working on pushing the ball downfield accurately, and throwing it off platform, where your feet aren’t set and you’re moving to your left or right [or back].”

Tagovailoa is now at 218 to 220 pounds, down from 225 last season. But the big difference is the 7 percent drop in body fat from 18 months ago. “He was out of shape,” Hicks said of where Tagovailoa ended his rookie season. “He’s leaner now. It’s going to make him quicker, more swift in the pocket. His movement in the pocket is going to be better. “It was pretty good last year. [But] when he was running down field, he was kind of heavy. One play he ran over [Jets running back] Michael Carter, he looked like he was stumbling forward because his body wasn’t used to being that heavy. He can turn runs into longer gains and move better.” Then there’s the throwing component, where there is an appreciable difference in arm strength. “The thing about throwing the ball in Tua’s case is he has had a bunch of lower extremity injuries the last four years, whether it was the hip or the ankle,” Hicks said.

“He had to play with a hindrance with the lower half of his body. When you play quarterback, that hurts you. Everything starts with the lower half. “Tua has had to throw the ball with a shrunken arm rather than [with optimal power] with his lower half because he’s been dealing with nagging issues the past couple years. There was a disconnect between the kinetic chain.” As Hicks noted, “it all starts with the lower half when you throw the football. His lower half was so used and abused that he started throwing with all arm. You don’t get the right velocity or trajectory that way; you not allowing yourself to reach full strength capacity throwing the ball down the field.”

To that end, beginning in February, “we did shoulder separation drills, a lot of torso rotations and movement and trying to understand how to generate power from the floor. It’s not like Tua didn’t know how to do it before. You lose sight of what’s really important. We knew he had it in him. It’s just recovering it. Tua can throw the ball. There are a lot of college videos where he’s throwing the ball effortlessly.” So here’s what Hicks and Tagovailoa did every morning from February through the third week of April, when Dolphins offseason practices began: He would have Tagovailoa make different types of throws at varying lengths, often to Dolphins teammate Lynn Bowden Jr., another Hicks client.

“First, I have him throw with his feet and shoulders square; you are working on torso rotation and throwing downfield with your trunk,” Hicks said. “Then he throws with his shoulders squared to his target, then pushing off his back leg. And the third throw would be throws on rhythm - a quick three step drop, a rhythm drop.” He would make each of those throws at varying lengths; the emphasis would be more velocity: “We would start at five yards. Every 5 yards I will have a cone and have Lynn Bowden or whoever catching the ball and every time he completes the pass we move back another five yards.

“He increased everything by 20-plus yards at the end of the program. He ended up throwing 71 yards by the [late stages of the] program.” But the on-field work was just part of the Tagovailoa/Hicks offseason program. This was a twice-a-day routine for more than two months. “We would be on field 1 1/2 hour in the morning and got to the house in the evening” for lifting and cardiovascular work, Hicks said.

On Monday nights, Tagovailoa lifted weights to increase his lower body strength. On Tuesday nights, the focus was weights to increase upper body strength. On Wednesday nights, he would ride the treadmill and stationary bicycle as part of a core workout. Oh Thursday and Friday nights, he would use free weights, medicine balls and resistant bands, with 14 exercises conducted over 45 minutes - one night focusing on the lower body, the other night on the upper body.

On Saturday, there would be a full workout in the pool. The upshot? “His overall strength has improved,” Hicks said. His outlook and happiness have improved too. “It’s a different feel,” Hicks said. “He thought the NFL was strictly business and coaches were just coaches, that they couldn’t be a friend. The first year, he thought that [nature of the business] really did [stink]. The NFL is rough. “Having Mike McDaniel, [quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, offensive coordinator] Frank Smith, he loves these guys. He has found his love for it again, which is exciting.

 

[djphinfan]

all that adds up correct imo..

he needed to transform his ratio, let himself go in college as Ive said before, im sure some do to lower extremity injuries, he carries a lot of his weight in the lower half, so he was heavy leggin around the field..18 percent body fat needed to come way down.

Sacrificing velocity when feet are not set is also accurate so good on them to recognize that and work on that.

His legs should be quicker now to escape the pocket better more cleanly, and hopefully he remembers he once was a great dual threat qb and starts to run on his own accord.

No way should that kid of been in a starting lineup that early in his career, Ross should be replaced.

 

[andyahs]

all that adds up correct imo..

he needed to transform his ratio, let himself go in college as Ive said before, im sure some do to lower extremity injuries, he carries a lot of his weight in the lower half, so he was heavy leggin around the field..18 percent body fat needed to come way down.

Sacrificing velocity when feet are not set is also accurate so good on them to recognize that and work on that.

His legs should be quicker now to escape the pocket better more cleanly, and hopefully he remembers he once was a great dual threat qb and starts to run on his own accord.

No way should that kid of been in a starting lineup that early in his career, Ross should be replaced.

Flores was replaced.

 

[Travis34]

barry jackson goes even deeper here, mods this is not the full article, the link only leads to paywall..



The pervasive optimism about Tua Tagovailoa around the Dolphins organization isn’t merely rooted in the fact that his supporting cast has been augmented and that an offensive savant — with a quarterback-friendly offense to boot — has been hired as head coach. It’s also rooted in the reality that he’s in a better place physically, with a leaner physique, a stronger arm and a fully healed body. For the latter, credit Tagovailoa’s dedication to a strenuous offseason regimen, and credit his trainer, Nick Hicks, for implementing that program and guiding him every step of the way. “He ended up throwing 71 [air yards],” Hicks said in a phone conversation with the Miami Herald this week. “I don’t think he could have thrown 71 last offseason. “He can push the ball down the field. He’s throwing the ball 50, 60 yards multiple times a practice. He is throwing the ball completely differently, with more confidence, more rhythm. His lower half is in shape. I feel he’s back to where he was when he was the sharpest quarterback in the NCAA.”

Not only is Tagovailoa’s lower body strong — now 2 1/2 years removed from a serious hip injury — but his body fat has dropped from 16 percent about 18 months ago to 9 percent now. To understand how far Tagovailoa has come from the serious hip injury sustained during his final season at Alabama — one that affected his effectiveness as an NFL rookie — allow Hicks to take us back to January 2021, when Tagovailoa was coming off his first season as a Dolphin. “Last year, we needed to rebuild the engine, start from scratch,” Hicks said. “Just a very long year of no breaks. He had a pretty bad injury. He was focusing on staying healthy. “When I got my hands on Tua last year, at the end of his rookie season, he was at 60 percent health. There were basic movements I took him through with range of motion, strength, stability and making sure he didn’t have any setbacks with the hip. The mobility of the hip wasn’t great.”

And then the 2021 season “was a good year, but there were some things he could have done better.” So Hicks crafted a plan that he shared with Tagovailoa over breakfast after the 2021 season ended. “We talked about what he wanted to work on, what I wanted to work on — footwork, mobility in the pocket, burning fat, trying not to be as big as last year,” Hicks said. “Flo [Brian Flores] wanted him to be a certain weight so he could take on hits, which was crazy to me. This year, the plan was lean muscle mass and decrease muscle mass and working on pushing the ball downfield accurately, and throwing it off platform, where your feet aren’t set and you’re moving to your left or right [or back].”

Tagovailoa is now at 218 to 220 pounds, down from 225 last season. But the big difference is the 7 percent drop in body fat from 18 months ago. “He was out of shape,” Hicks said of where Tagovailoa ended his rookie season. “He’s leaner now. It’s going to make him quicker, more swift in the pocket. His movement in the pocket is going to be better. “It was pretty good last year. [But] when he was running down field, he was kind of heavy. One play he ran over [Jets running back] Michael Carter, he looked like he was stumbling forward because his body wasn’t used to being that heavy. He can turn runs into longer gains and move better.” Then there’s the throwing component, where there is an appreciable difference in arm strength. “The thing about throwing the ball in Tua’s case is he has had a bunch of lower extremity injuries the last four years, whether it was the hip or the ankle,” Hicks said.

“He had to play with a hindrance with the lower half of his body. When you play quarterback, that hurts you. Everything starts with the lower half. “Tua has had to throw the ball with a shrunken arm rather than [with optimal power] with his lower half because he’s been dealing with nagging issues the past couple years. There was a disconnect between the kinetic chain.” As Hicks noted, “it all starts with the lower half when you throw the football. His lower half was so used and abused that he started throwing with all arm. You don’t get the right velocity or trajectory that way; you not allowing yourself to reach full strength capacity throwing the ball down the field.”

To that end, beginning in February, “we did shoulder separation drills, a lot of torso rotations and movement and trying to understand how to generate power from the floor. It’s not like Tua didn’t know how to do it before. You lose sight of what’s really important. We knew he had it in him. It’s just recovering it. Tua can throw the ball. There are a lot of college videos where he’s throwing the ball effortlessly.” So here’s what Hicks and Tagovailoa did every morning from February through the third week of April, when Dolphins offseason practices began: He would have Tagovailoa make different types of throws at varying lengths, often to Dolphins teammate Lynn Bowden Jr., another Hicks client.

“First, I have him throw with his feet and shoulders square; you are working on torso rotation and throwing downfield with your trunk,” Hicks said. “Then he throws with his shoulders squared to his target, then pushing off his back leg. And the third throw would be throws on rhythm - a quick three step drop, a rhythm drop.” He would make each of those throws at varying lengths; the emphasis would be more velocity: “We would start at five yards. Every 5 yards I will have a cone and have Lynn Bowden or whoever catching the ball and every time he completes the pass we move back another five yards.

“He increased everything by 20-plus yards at the end of the program. He ended up throwing 71 yards by the [late stages of the] program.” But the on-field work was just part of the Tagovailoa/Hicks offseason program. This was a twice-a-day routine for more than two months. “We would be on field 1 1/2 hour in the morning and got to the house in the evening” for lifting and cardiovascular work, Hicks said.

On Monday nights, Tagovailoa lifted weights to increase his lower body strength. On Tuesday nights, the focus was weights to increase upper body strength. On Wednesday nights, he would ride the treadmill and stationary bicycle as part of a core workout. Oh Thursday and Friday nights, he would use free weights, medicine balls and resistant bands, with 14 exercises conducted over 45 minutes - one night focusing on the lower body, the other night on the upper body.

On Saturday, there would be a full workout in the pool. The upshot? “His overall strength has improved,” Hicks said. His outlook and happiness have improved too. “It’s a different feel,” Hicks said. “He thought the NFL was strictly business and coaches were just coaches, that they couldn’t be a friend. The first year, he thought that [nature of the business] really did [stink]. The NFL is rough. “Having Mike McDaniel, [quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, offensive coordinator] Frank Smith, he loves these guys. He has found his love for it again, which is exciting.

Great stuff here

Cant wait to see what kind of shape Tua is in this year

 

[djphinfan]

Great stuff here

Cant wait to see what kind of shape Tua is in this year

Imo he’s got a couple years before he were to get in optimal condition, just don’t believe it was his priority leading up to his Nfl career

It’s a start though

 

[andyahs]

Imo he’s got a couple years before he were to get in optimal condition, just don’t believe it was his priority leading up to his Nfl career

It’s a start though

A sever hip injury will do that.

Tua's always been known as a hard worker. He needed to sit the year he was drafted.

 

[djphinfan]

A sever hip injury will do that.

Tua's always been known as a hard worker. He needed to sit the year he was drafted.

He’s a hard worker not necessarily a gym rat..

Saban would get upset with him for being out of shape.

Hawaiian cooking and cuisine is very fattening and I’m thinking that played a role as well while he grew up

 

[ANUFan]

barry jackson goes even deeper here, mods this is not the full article, the link only leads to paywall..



The pervasive optimism about Tua Tagovailoa around the Dolphins organization isn’t merely rooted in the fact that his supporting cast has been augmented and that an offensive savant — with a quarterback-friendly offense to boot — has been hired as head coach. It’s also rooted in the reality that he’s in a better place physically, with a leaner physique, a stronger arm and a fully healed body. For the latter, credit Tagovailoa’s dedication to a strenuous offseason regimen, and credit his trainer, Nick Hicks, for implementing that program and guiding him every step of the way. “He ended up throwing 71 [air yards],” Hicks said in a phone conversation with the Miami Herald this week. “I don’t think he could have thrown 71 last offseason. “He can push the ball down the field. He’s throwing the ball 50, 60 yards multiple times a practice. He is throwing the ball completely differently, with more confidence, more rhythm. His lower half is in shape. I feel he’s back to where he was when he was the sharpest quarterback in the NCAA.”

Not only is Tagovailoa’s lower body strong — now 2 1/2 years removed from a serious hip injury — but his body fat has dropped from 16 percent about 18 months ago to 9 percent now. To understand how far Tagovailoa has come from the serious hip injury sustained during his final season at Alabama — one that affected his effectiveness as an NFL rookie — allow Hicks to take us back to January 2021, when Tagovailoa was coming off his first season as a Dolphin. “Last year, we needed to rebuild the engine, start from scratch,” Hicks said. “Just a very long year of no breaks. He had a pretty bad injury. He was focusing on staying healthy. “When I got my hands on Tua last year, at the end of his rookie season, he was at 60 percent health. There were basic movements I took him through with range of motion, strength, stability and making sure he didn’t have any setbacks with the hip. The mobility of the hip wasn’t great.”

And then the 2021 season “was a good year, but there were some things he could have done better.” So Hicks crafted a plan that he shared with Tagovailoa over breakfast after the 2021 season ended. “We talked about what he wanted to work on, what I wanted to work on — footwork, mobility in the pocket, burning fat, trying not to be as big as last year,” Hicks said. “Flo [Brian Flores] wanted him to be a certain weight so he could take on hits, which was crazy to me. This year, the plan was lean muscle mass and decrease muscle mass and working on pushing the ball downfield accurately, and throwing it off platform, where your feet aren’t set and you’re moving to your left or right [or back].”

Tagovailoa is now at 218 to 220 pounds, down from 225 last season. But the big difference is the 7 percent drop in body fat from 18 months ago. “He was out of shape,” Hicks said of where Tagovailoa ended his rookie season. “He’s leaner now. It’s going to make him quicker, more swift in the pocket. His movement in the pocket is going to be better. “It was pretty good last year. [But] when he was running down field, he was kind of heavy. One play he ran over [Jets running back] Michael Carter, he looked like he was stumbling forward because his body wasn’t used to being that heavy. He can turn runs into longer gains and move better.” Then there’s the throwing component, where there is an appreciable difference in arm strength. “The thing about throwing the ball in Tua’s case is he has had a bunch of lower extremity injuries the last four years, whether it was the hip or the ankle,” Hicks said.

“He had to play with a hindrance with the lower half of his body. When you play quarterback, that hurts you. Everything starts with the lower half. “Tua has had to throw the ball with a shrunken arm rather than [with optimal power] with his lower half because he’s been dealing with nagging issues the past couple years. There was a disconnect between the kinetic chain.” As Hicks noted, “it all starts with the lower half when you throw the football. His lower half was so used and abused that he started throwing with all arm. You don’t get the right velocity or trajectory that way; you not allowing yourself to reach full strength capacity throwing the ball down the field.”

To that end, beginning in February, “we did shoulder separation drills, a lot of torso rotations and movement and trying to understand how to generate power from the floor. It’s not like Tua didn’t know how to do it before. You lose sight of what’s really important. We knew he had it in him. It’s just recovering it. Tua can throw the ball. There are a lot of college videos where he’s throwing the ball effortlessly.” So here’s what Hicks and Tagovailoa did every morning from February through the third week of April, when Dolphins offseason practices began: He would have Tagovailoa make different types of throws at varying lengths, often to Dolphins teammate Lynn Bowden Jr., another Hicks client.

“First, I have him throw with his feet and shoulders square; you are working on torso rotation and throwing downfield with your trunk,” Hicks said. “Then he throws with his shoulders squared to his target, then pushing off his back leg. And the third throw would be throws on rhythm - a quick three step drop, a rhythm drop.” He would make each of those throws at varying lengths; the emphasis would be more velocity: “We would start at five yards. Every 5 yards I will have a cone and have Lynn Bowden or whoever catching the ball and every time he completes the pass we move back another five yards.

“He increased everything by 20-plus yards at the end of the program. He ended up throwing 71 yards by the [late stages of the] program.” But the on-field work was just part of the Tagovailoa/Hicks offseason program. This was a twice-a-day routine for more than two months. “We would be on field 1 1/2 hour in the morning and got to the house in the evening” for lifting and cardiovascular work, Hicks said.

On Monday nights, Tagovailoa lifted weights to increase his lower body strength. On Tuesday nights, the focus was weights to increase upper body strength. On Wednesday nights, he would ride the treadmill and stationary bicycle as part of a core workout. Oh Thursday and Friday nights, he would use free weights, medicine balls and resistant bands, with 14 exercises conducted over 45 minutes - one night focusing on the lower body, the other night on the upper body.

On Saturday, there would be a full workout in the pool. The upshot? “His overall strength has improved,” Hicks said. His outlook and happiness have improved too. “It’s a different feel,” Hicks said. “He thought the NFL was strictly business and coaches were just coaches, that they couldn’t be a friend. The first year, he thought that [nature of the business] really did [stink]. The NFL is rough. “Having Mike McDaniel, [quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell, offensive coordinator] Frank Smith, he loves these guys. He has found his love for it again, which is exciting.

Don’t know how all of this will translate for the kid. But those that question his work ethic and desire are out of your minds.

 

[artdnj]

wow,

Lynn Bowden
"Every session with Tua, Lynn Bowden was there." "He's gonna find his spot. He is that good."

Chase Edmonds trains with them as well.
"He is up there with the best of the RBs I've worked with. He came to me and said I need to work on outside zone stuff. I don't need inside zone, I've been doing that for years. He is one of the first RBs to tell me specifically what he wants to work on."

What have you heard about HC McDaniel?
"Every guy that I've talked to on the team, told me the reason they signed with Miami is because of him. OR, they've never experienced an NFL locker room like this one. Whether it was Miami's last year, or the Cardinals, etc. They've never experienced a locker room like this. It is refreshing, it is fun. They are building something very special there. And it has everything to do with McDaniel and Frank, and Bev, and Sam Madison, and Pat Surtain, Wes Welker. They have put together a group of amazing human beings. Not just amazing football coaches. Those players are gonna fight for those coaches all season."

Flores
"Albert Wilson told me playing for Miami last year was the strangest year of football he has ever experienced in his life. It was wild. They had to walk in single file lines down the hallway, nobody was talking, everyone walking on pins and needles, just a finger pointing game all the time in meetings." "We have a new coach who is encouraging, smart, understands the players' psyche is very important to their performance, so we have to bring the best out of them."

"Tua was so excited and invested going into last year." "And to go to Tua having to step up to Flores, on behalf of the team, telling Flores he can't talk to people like that....Tua wasn't standing up for himself he was standing up for the entire team." "Tua is the most humble dude. How far do you have to push a kid to get him to that point?"

"Xavien Howard hated that man. He hated Flores' guts. Now, Xavien Howard went and got the peace sign tattoo on his neck, said he is in a much better place now."

Tua Tagovailoa
"Number one goal this offseason was getting his legs in shape, and his lower body in shape....and not just strength but speed....his throwing power comes heavily from his lower half."

Nick Hicks reached out to Tua's father to brainstorm some ideas for training Tua. He wanting to bring in and incorporate some of the drills they have done in the past.

wow, good stuff. Interesting about X. So happy for Tua, whatever happens, but at least he'll be given a fair shot, he deserves that. I too LOVE the coaching staff Mc put in place, great football dudes imo and the players should relate well to them

 

[Casas9425]

Reading that it’s amazing he was able to pass a physical. Makes the rumors that he flunked some teams physicals seem more likely. That hip injury is hard to recover from.