HOOVER, Ala. -- Jerry Jeudy noticed Tua Tagovailoa was counting his steps on his Apple Watch at SEC Media Days.

Alabama’s junior quarterback paced back and forth in between interviews Wednesday, trying to get in as many steps as he could. Tagovailoa looked leaner since the spring and said he currently weighs 215 pounds -- down from 230 in March -- with the coaching staff wanting him to stay around 218.

That has obviously been a priority for the star signal-caller this summer.

“After the Clemson game, I still had to do rehab, and so, I stayed off of my legs as much as I could, and, of course, you’re going to gain weight and whatnot,” said Tagovailoa at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham -- Wynfrey Hotel. “But when I was able to move and do what I wanted to do and whatnot, it was very important to get back in shape. I feel a lot healthier than I did, probably, since I got to the University of Alabama.”

Tagovailoa is entering his third season in Tuscaloosa, Ala., as one of the best players in all of college football. But his stellar sophomore year was limited, at times, by injuries to his knee and ankle. He also missed the Manning Passing Academy in late June because of a minor hamstring injury.

Tagovailoa explained why he was absent from the annual camp for quarterbacks.

“I had a tight hamstring, and our trainers didn’t want me to go because they felt if I were to do something strenuous there that it might end up being tweaked or I might actually pull it,” Tagovailoa said. “So, they didn’t want to take the risk, they wanted me to stay at the university and get some treatment.”

Whether it’s getting in shape or getting healthy, Tagovailoa has placed an emphasis on his personal well-being.

Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa

“I think the next step for me is getting into the training room, taking care of myself in every aspect, whether I’m hurting or not. Just being able to take care of myself,” Tagovailoa said. “Everybody uses the analogy of a car. If you don’t get a tuneup for your car, your car’s not going to work the same way it worked when you first drove it off the lot.”

Tagovailoa wants to spend as much time in the training room, but it isn’t just about maintaining his body. He wants to spend as much time as possible with his teammates, building and growing relationships. That’s something head coach Nick Saban knows is a strength of his starting quarterback.

But what does Saban want to see from Tagovailoa this fall after a record-breaking 2018 campaign?

“I think Tua is the kind of guy that’s never really satisfied, and I think he had an outstanding year last year,” Saban said. “Are there things that he can improve on? I don’t think there’s any question about that. Towards the end of the season, we turned the ball over a little bit more offensively than what we had in the first half of the season. And I’m sure that he wants to make sure that the decision-making that led to some of those things are something that he can improve on.

“I think that we’d like for him to learn. Tua is a great competitor, so he’s going to try to make a great play every play. And sometimes those things have worked out extremely well. And other times they’ve led to some disasters. So. having a little better judgment about when to say when can be an asset from a health standpoint, as well as eliminate negative play standpoint, even though sometimes he’s done that and it’s worked out great.

“But we’re happy to have him as a leader of our team. He’s got great character. He’s a hard worker. He affects his teammates in a really positive way. I think he’s very well-respected by his teammates. And he’s obviously been as productive as anybody in his position in the country. So, hopefully, we can build on that.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).

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