Pro athletes across various sports are facing a concerning rise in home burglaries. Miami Dolphins' star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa took a proactive step by hiring personal security after one of his cars was broken into about a year ago. His decision was driven by the proximity of the incident to his family, as he emphasized the importance of their safety. "It was a little too close for my comfort with my family being in the house," Tagovailoa said. "So we got personal security to take care of all of that. When we’re on the road, we’ve got someone with my wife, got someone also at the house, surveying the house."

Tagovailoa's Security Measures and Warnings

Tagovailoa's security is armed, and he made it clear that potential burglars should think twice before targeting his home. "I hope that if you decide to go to my house, you think twice," he added. In recent weeks, there has been a string of burglaries of pro athletes' homes in the U.S., including those of Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Their homes were broken into in October, prompting the NFL to issue a security alert to teams and the players' union. The memo obtained by The Associated Press and multiple other media outlets warned that the houses of numerous pro athletes were "increasingly targeted for burglaries by organized and skilled groups."The NFL and other professional sports leagues also received a briefing from the FBI last month. Law enforcement officials noted that these groups target the homes on days when the athletes have games. Players were advised to take precautions and implement home security measures to reduce the risk of being targeted.Tagovailoa's personal security has been in place long before this string of break-ins. No one was injured in the Monday night break-in at Burrow's home, but it was ransacked. In the NBA, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis had his home broken into in November, and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley's home was burglarized in September while he was at a Minnesota Vikings game. Portis offered a $40,000 reward for information, and the NBA later issued a memo revealing that the FBI has connected some burglaries to "transnational South American Theft Groups" that are "reportedly well-organized, sophisticated rings that incorporate advanced techniques and technologies, including pre-surveillance, drones, and signal jamming devices." Some of the groups have conducted extensive surveillance on targets, including attempted home deliveries and posing as grounds maintenance or joggers in the neighborhood.Tagovailoa, who signed an extension with the Dolphins last offseason, said he doesn't necessarily feel like a target but wouldn't want to take any chances with his family and kids sleeping, his wife sleeping, or himself sleeping at the house.Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.