Tua Tagovailoa Emotional Over Henry Ruggs, 'Never Think He'd Hurt a Soul'

Tua Tagovailoa -- who won a national championship alongside Henry Ruggs at Alabama -- choked back tears as he addressed his ex-teammate's fatal DUI arrest after practice Wednesday ... saying, "You’d never think that this guy could hurt a soul."

The Miami Dolphins quarterback appeared emotional and upset over the tragedy ... sharing his condolences to those close to the 23-year-old woman who died as a result of the crash.

"That’s tough," Tua told reporters. "My heart goes out to the families affected by what happened, the choices and decisions."

"My heart goes out to Henry, too, and his family. Obviously, it wasn't the right choice or decision he made at that time. I know he'd wish he could have it back."

He added ... "When I heard the news, that was tough for me to hear, just knowing the kind of person that Henry is ... I'm still kind of in disbelief."

Tua and Ruggs were very close in Tuscaloosa from 2017-19 and have remained tight as pros in the NFL ... and it's clear he's been hit hard by the news.

TMZ Sports broke the story -- officials say Ruggs was driving 156 miles per hour just seconds before the accident ... and had a BAC of .161.

The Las Vegas Raiders released Ruggs shortly after the crash ... and he could be facing serious time behind bars.