Tua Tagovailoa Talks About Parents' Concerns Ahead Of His Return From Concussion

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Tua Tagovailoa started against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night - his first game since being carted off the field after suffering a scary concussion on Sept. 29. While Tagovailoa looked like his old self against the Steelers, his mindset heading into the game was different and his parents played a role in that.

TUA TAGOVAILOA RECOUNTS SCARY MOMENTS AFTER CONCUSSION, INCLUDING BLACKOUTS AND MEMORY LOSS

Tagovailoa sat down with NBC's Maria Taylor and admitted that the whole situation was hard on his parents, especially his return back to the field.

"It was a little tough for my parents," Tagovailoa told Taylor. "That was their biggest concern prior to the injury and then things in the hospital and then after that and then going through the interview process, going to see second opinion doctors. But for me, I love football. I just love it. I love the feeling that it brings. I love that football can help change peoples’ lives.

"I just missed it. I just missed it, missed playing."

Tua Tagovailoa has thrown nine touchdowns in five games this season for the Dolphins. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Tagovailoa went 21-for-35 through the air for 261 yards and one touchdown in Miami's 16-10 win over Pittsburgh.

Tagovailoa Did Take Some Hits Against The Steelers

He told Taylor he'd try not to be a superhero anymore, but that's easier said than done.

Tagovailoa had four rushes for 15 yards on Sunday, with a couple of those attempts ending with him lowering his shoulder as opposed to sliding.

"Thinking of the longevity of me playing, get the ball out. If I’m getting sacked, just fall down, don’t try to be a superhero," Tagovailoa said. "That’s something that has been wired in me, to always try to make something happen, but sometimes the smartest play or the best play is to throw the ball away and just punt the ball."

Not being a superhero when your brain has been wired for you to be a superhero your entire football career is easier said than done.

Tagovailoa escaped Sunday's win without an injury, and hopefully, that remains the case for weeks to come.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.