Tai Lavatai
{{Short description|American football player}}
{{lead too short|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college football player
|name=Tai Lavatai
|image=Tai Lavatai 2021 Army-Navy Game.jpg
|caption=Lavatai in the 2021 Army–Navy Game
|school= Navy Midshipmen
|currentnumber=1
|currentposition=Quarterback
|class=
|major=Mathematics with Economics
|birth_date=
|birth_place=
|heightft=6
|heightin=2
|weight_lb=221
|highlights=
|highschool=Creekside (St. Johns, Florida)
|pastschools=
- Navy (2020–2023)
|bowlgames=
|espn=4686164
}}
Tai Lavatai is a former American football quarterback for the Navy Midshipmen.
Early life and high school
Lavatai grew up in St. Johns, Florida and attended Creekside High School where he lettered in football and baseball. In his high school career, Lavatai completed 124 of his 272 pass attempts for 1,772 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Lavatai would also rush for 607 yards and 11 touchdowns, while also hauling in a reception for 36 yards.{{cite web|url=https://www.maxpreps.com/fl/st-johns/creekside-knights/athletes/tai-lavatai/football/stats/?careerid=bcsjf3ifvo011|title=Tai Lavatai's Creekside High School Football Stats|website=MaxPreps.com|access-date=November 5, 2023}} Lavatai would decide to commit to play college football at the United States Naval Academy.{{cite web|url=https://247sports.com/player/tai-lavatai-46135988/high-school-285217|title=Tai Lavatai, Creekside, Quarterback|website=247Sports.com|access-date=November 5, 2023}}
College career
During Lavatai's true freshman season in 2020, he did not see any action on varsity.{{cite web|url=https://navysports.com/sports/football/roster/tai-lavatai/24140|title=Tai Lavatai|website=Navy Midshipmen}}
During the 2021 season, he started and played in all 10 games and finished the season with 371 rushing yards, seven touchdowns and 170 carries (both being a team high record). He also completed 34 out of 61 passing attempts for 449 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions.{{cite web|url=
https://navysportsnation.com/one-mids-journey-a-look-at-navy-quarterback-tai-lavatais-road-to-annapolis/|title=One Mid's Journey: A Look At Navy Quarterback Tai Lavatai's Road To Annapolis|website=Navy Sports Nation|first=Karl|last=Darden|date=August 1, 2022|access-date=November 5, 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/tai-lavatai-1/gamelog/2021/|title=Tai Lavatai 2021 Gamelog|website=Sports Reference|access-date=November 5, 2023}} During the team's yearly game against Army, Lavatai led the team to a win with 62 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries while also completing four out of six passing attempts for 82 yards which are the second-most passing yards in his career.{{cite web|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/sports/2021/12/12/navy-defeats-army-college-football-saturday|title=Lavatai runs for 2 TDs, Navy's D dominates in win over Army|website=Spectrum Local News|date=December 11, 2021|access-date=November 5, 2023}}
During the 2022 season, he played in and started the first eight games before suffering a season ending injury while playing against Temple.{{cite web|url=https://saturdayroad.com/notre-dame-fighting-irish/navy-quarterback-suffers-season-ending-injury-two-weeks-before-facing-notre-dame/|title=Navy quarterback suffers season-ending injury 2 weeks before facing Notre Dame|website=Saturday Road|first=Spenser|last=Davis|date=October 29, 2022|access-date=November 5, 2023}} Prior to the season, he was named to the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List.{{cite web|url=https://navysports.com/news/2022/8/18/junior-quarterback-tai-lavatai-on-the-2022-polynesian-college-football-player-of-the-year-watch-list|title=Junior Quarterback Tai Lavatai on the 2022 Polynesian College Football Player of the Year Watch List|website=Navy Midshipmen|date=August 18, 2022|access-date=November 5, 2023}} Lavatai finished the season with 309 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 115 carries while also completing 42 out of 91 passing attempts for 785 yards, five touchdowns, three interceptions along with a 26 yard touchdown pass which was the first of his career.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/tai-lavatai-1/gamelog/2022/|title=Tai Lavatai 2022 Gamelog|website=Sports Reference|access-date=November 5, 2023}}
During the 2023 season, Lavatai was named the starting quarterback for the third consecutive year after suffering an injury during the previous season.{{cite web|url=
https://pressboxonline.com/2023/08/23/navy-hc-brian-newberry-tai-lavatai-will-likely-start-at-qb-against-notre-dame-but/|title=Navy HC Brian Newberry: Tai Lavatai Will Likely Start At QB Against Notre Dame, But …|website=PressBox|first=Luke|last=Jackson|date=August 23, 2023|access-date=November 5, 2023}} After the Week 5 game against North Texas, he was named as a candidate for the Comeback Player of the Year Award.{{cite web|url=https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/ac-cs-tai-lavatai-comeback-player-of-year-20231013-x56gkhhxuzfsnpxbln3p3dtlsi-story.html|title=Navy quarterback Tai Lavatai hopes to continue Comeback Player of the Year campaign at Charlotte|website=Capital Gazette|first=Bill|last=Wagner|date=October 13, 2023|access-date=November 5, 2023}} During the Week 6 game against Charlotte, Lavatai made only one offensive possession before suffering through a rib injury and not returning to the game.{{cite web|url=https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy/ac-cs-navy-charlotte-football-gamer-20231014-n424opntmzhinbrqmhk4lowqey-story.html|title=Navy football beats Charlotte, 14-0, after freshman QB Braxton Woodson takes over for injured Tai Lavatai|website=Capital Gazette|first=Bill|last=Wagner|date=October 14, 2023|access-date=November 5, 2023}}
=Statistics=
| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;" | |||||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"| Season
! colspan="3"| Games ! colspan="8"| Passing ! colspan="5"| Rushing | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Comp | Att | Pct | Yards | Avg | TD | Int | Rate | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | |
| colspan="16" style="{{CollegePrimaryStyle|Navy Midshipmen}}"| Navy Midshipmen | |||||||||||||||
| 2020
| 0 || 0 || — || colspan="12"| Did not play | |||||||||||||||
| 2021
| 10 || 10 || 4−6 || 34 || 61 || 55.7 || 449 || 7.4 || 5 || 2 || 138.1 || 170 || 371 || 2.2 || 7 | |||||||||||||||
| 2022
| 8 || 8 || 3−5 || 42 || 91 || 46.2 || 785 || 8.2 || 5 || 3 || 130.2 || 115 || 309 || 2.7 || 5 | |||||||||||||||
| 2023
| 7 || 5 || 2−3 || 40 || 75 || 53.3 || 522 || 6.8 || 4 || 2 || 124.1 || 56 || 171 || 3.1 || 2 | |||||||||||||||
| Career{{Cite web |title=Tai Lavatai College Stats, School, Draft, Gamelog, Splits |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/tai-lavatai-1.html |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=College Football at Sports-Reference.com |language=en}} | 25 | 23 | 9−14 | 116 | 227 | 51.1 | 1,756 | 7.7 | 14 | 7 | 130.3 | 341 | 851 | 2.5 | 14 |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://navysports.com/sports/football/roster/tai-lavatai/24140 Navy Midshipmen bio]
{{Navy Midshipmen quarterback navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lavatai, Tai}}
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:Players of American football from Florida
Category:Sportspeople from St. Johns County, Florida