Despite having a so-so debut season as a pro, Miami Dolphins star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa remains to be one of the most popular players in the entire league. So much so, that the 22-year-old actually ranked fourth overall in total jersey sales on NFL.com.

Nevertheless, Tagovailoa himself admitted that while he appreciates the love, he would gladly trade the fame for a Super Bowl championship:

“I'd say it did surprise me, but it shows the support the fans in Miami and Dolphins nation have for our team,” Tagovailoa said of his significant jersey sales last season, via Bill Bender of Sporting News. “It's very honorable to say the least that a lot of Dolphins fans want to buy my jersey. At the end of the day, I think popularity falls on the last of my list of things that I want.

“I just want to help my team win games, man. If I could give up the whole popularity deal and win a Super Bowl, then I would do that in a heartbeat.”

It's not as if he has a say in this matter now, though. At least for the fame stuff. Tagovailoa has established himself to be a well-loved figure among fans, and it's not as if this is going to go away “in a heartbeat.”

What he actually has control over is the career path he will be taking. Sure, there are a ton of other factors that will determine whether or not Tagovailoa will end up getting his hand on the Lombardi trophy someday, but there's no denying that his hard work and dedication will play a key role in whatever level of success he is able to achieve in his career — be it in Miami or elsewhere.