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Tagovailoa's hip recovery 'miraculous,' says physical therapist

Michael Hickey / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Ahead of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's move to South Florida, the Miami Dolphins quarterback's physical therapist lauded the progress the rookie has made since undergoing hip surgery.

"He's doing miraculously well," said Kevin Wilk, according to Safid Deen of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

"The miraculous part is that he healed so well. The second part is, he's been so well at getting his strength back, which usually takes a long time after something like this."

Tagovailoa, the No. 5 pick in this year's draft, has been rehabbing with Wilk in Alabama. But with the NFL lifting restricting on team facilities, the young passer was expected to leave for his new home Saturday.

While the Dolphins haven't yet been able to conduct their own tests, Wilks has no doubts that the former Crimson Tide standout is ready to prove Miami was right to take a risk on him.

"You can barely talk to him when he's at the clinic. He's either doing exercises or his face is buried in the iPad, learning the system," Wilk said. "He's laser-focused. One of the most focused I've ever seen anybody, to be honest."

Tagovailoa's legendary college career came to an early end last November when he suffered a dislocated hip and associated fracture against Mississippi State.

While the first-year quarterback appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery, Tagovailoa will need to beat out Ryan Fitzpatrick in training camp to get the perfect end to his long road back to health.

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