Taulia Tagovailoa, younger brother of NFL quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, quarterbacked American Samoa to a surprising 38-32 victory over the United States at the IFAF Flag Football Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany. The win ended the U.S. team's 14-year undefeated streak at the international event, with their last loss occurring in the 2012 final.
Tagovailoa, a former University of Maryland quarterback, completed 29 of 36 passes for 213 yards and five touchdowns. Following the match, he attributed the victory to faith and his team's perseverance.
"This team, America Samoa, we set our foundation on our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," Tagovailoa told reporters. "Only he can do these things, make this possible. I’m pretty sure everyone knows how far we had to travel, the things we had to go through to travel, or the population of the nation.
"No one but us on that team believed. We give all glory to God… This is a great victory for our team and our country. Job’s not finished. … We’ve got to continue working. It’s a great win, but we’re not satisfied."
Flag football is scheduled to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, where 12 men's teams will compete. The U.S. has already qualified as the host nation, leaving American Samoa to vie for one of the remaining 11 spots.
Tagovailoa's football career includes a successful college tenure at Maryland, where he accumulated 11,256 passing yards and 76 touchdowns across four seasons, leading the Terrapins to three bowl game victories. After going undrafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, he has played in the Canadian Football League, the Indoor Football League, and the United Football League before joining the American Samoa flag football team.