Marcus Mariota is the heart of Hawaii, and hes at the brink of Heisman Trophy By Andrew Greif | agreif@oregonian on December 13, 2014 at 8:15 AM LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The water boy is big and tall now, filling out his black suit and ivory shirt, waiting for a producer to give him the green light to take his first red carpet steps. It is almost dusk — 6:02 p.m. — when he sees them lined up along the carpets left edge, two dozen boys and men dressed in orange and black and khaki, calling his name like they know him. Oh, but the Manoa Paniolos do know him, have known him for a while now, since before he was the Heisman Trophy favorite, the All-American quarterback and the potential No. 1 NFL draft pick. Some have known Mariota long enough, in fact, to know him as a role model, consider him a friend and remember him as a water boy at some of Honolulus local Pop Warner games. Through serendipity or sheer coincidence, both Mariota and the fighting Paniolos arrived the same week at Walt Disney World, one to collect three of college footballs most prestigious awards, the others to play in Pop Warners Pee Wee level, Division I national championships. And because they admittedly both feel a little like strangers so far from their Honolulu hometown, Mariota breaks from his walk when he sees a reminder of home, signing their white jerseys and shaking coaches hands. Theyve both traced the same route from Hawaii to get here, but Mariota has come even farther to college footballs forefront, where he hopes to lead his Oregon Ducks to their first national championship by winning two College Football Playoff games in the next month. This distance is why the Paniolos usher you closer to the velvet rope to speak with Anthony Monteilh, and why he considers the water boy story the highest compliment. There are actually two. During Mariotas sophomore and junior seasons at St. Louis High, he often crossed the schools fields after practice in time for the Pop Warner kickoff. The team he and his brother grew up playing for were the Kalani Falcons. Their rivals were the Paniolos. On those nights, he and a few friends would goof off, then volunteer to bring the next generation of Falcons water. When he was a senior, Monteilh said, hed also drop by the JV games to help out with their water, as well. Selfless. Humble. Loyal. Mariota mostly laughs at the memory, brushing off its significance. Lugging the water was only part of the fun of cheering on his old team from the sideline, and helping out younger players, such as his brother, Matt. No big deal. We used to go maybe once a week, he said. He explains, and has explained many times before, that credit goes first to parents Toa and Alana, who raised him amid a culture that asks its youth to talk less and do more. But, like most of his acts, the story resonates more to those around Mariota than the QB. Twenty minutes after Mariota interrupted his red carpet moment, broadcast on ESPN, to reconnect with the Paniolos, Monteilh smiles wide. Mariota hasnt changed a bit. Nothing has changed. He doesnt find himself to be up here and youre below, said Monteilh, who became St. Louis junior varsity receivers coach when Mariota was in high school. Its the structure from his parents, they keep him level. Sometimes prestige can take you to a level that you think youre better or over people at times. But thats the beauty of him. The same way. Many people feel this way about Oregons junior, to the point that seemingly everyone who has come into contact with Mariota is happily carrying his own metaphorical water with his Oregon career likely to culminate this month, should he forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft as expected. If second-seeded Oregon (12-1) beats third-seeded Florida State (13-0) on Jan. 1 in a national semifinal, his career could end in grand fashion with a national championship. But those around him say the most impressive things about Mariota are the small acts of kindness that have become as much a part of his resume as his 10,000 career passing yards and 2,000 rushing yards. The greatest thing about him is hes improved in a ton of areas while remaining one hundred percent true to who he is, which is a humble, tough, competitive worker, said Oregon coach Mark Helfrich, among the earliest coaches to spot Mariota while in high school. He makes us better every single day as coaches. ... Our whole team is better for having been around Marcus; not just a dynamic guy you see making highlights, but every single day in the weight room, every single day running in the summer, all the things he does behind the scenes, community, all those things are immeasurable. Going off the measurables alone, it is no stretch to say that Mariota will be remembered as the greatest Oregon football player in history. Certainly the most decorated, too: As a junior, he has won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey OBrien Award, Maxwell Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year. He is a lock to become Oregons seventh consensus All-American and could join running back LaMichael James (2010) as a unanimous All-American. Saturday night, he could accept the programs first Heisman Trophy. He owns seven school records and the Pac-12 single-season touchdown record, with 53 this season. As Mariota left a tour of the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Friday — part of the perk of winning the Unitas Award — NFL Hall of Fame receiver Raymond Berry trailed behind in cowboy boots, his gait slower than when he was the target for 12 seasons of a pretty good quarterback of another era, in Unitas. Because many West Coast games are on too late for the 81-year-old from his home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Berry only recently learned of the scope of Mariotas accomplishments. I recently looked up his stats, Berry said. And that told me all I needed to know. His coaches, teammates and 12-year-olds from Honolulu might beg to differ. Theres more to it than numbers. Fame, four years and being 6,000 miles away from home should change a person, but Mariota has retained an unassuming personality while morphing into the most recognized player in his sport. At ESPNs College Football Awards Show on Thursday night at Walt Disney World, fans from across the southeast screamed for autographs farther down the red carpet, 100 feet past the Paniolos, who were agog at their good fortune. On the back of the jersey where a nameplate would typically appear, Mariotas name instead was scribbled in black marker on the jersey of 12-year-old Scott Chung. It made it that much more comfortable for me, Mariota said of seeing the Manoa team. I had no idea. I wish I had a longer amount of time to sit there and sign all their jerseys because thats what its all about, to give back to the kids. It made me feel comfortable. Made me feel like Im at home. After Mariotas tour of the Baltimore sports museum and its litany of Unitas helmets, cleats, Super Bowl memorabilia from both the Colts and Ravens and more, three autograph-seekers tried to stop the Duck quarterback as he was shepherded to a white limousine. They didnt get the time of day from UOs travel party. Its a different story on Oahu when Mariota returns during summers. On Sundays, his high school quarterback coach, Vinnie Passas, holds throwing sessions for all youth, events that have taken on a communal feeling. Marcus is on the field, he doesnt separate himself from us, and thats the nature of Marcus, said Mitch Fuller, a Manoa coach who has also coached slot receivers at St. Louis since 2011, the year after Mariota left for Eugene. He always finds the time to give back, and we cant be more proud of him. The only way he separates himself is athletically, they say. Fuller recalls watching Mariota fire 45-yard out-route patterns with pinpoint accuracy to preteen receivers hed never thrown to before. You know one time he wasnt the starter, but he took the long road and hes gained the ultimate success to be the number one player in the nation, Fuller said. Hes a great example for our kids, great example for the state of Hawaii and you know what, dreams can come true for these young men. Marcus has set that bar for them. To close the Sunday sessions, the athletes often gather at midfield for impromptu pep talks. The Paniolos vividly remember Mariotas message about priorities. School first, said Aalona Monteilh. And family, added Chung. Football is in the mix there somewhere, too. But its not why so many say they will celebrate a Heisman Trophy victory. That reason hinges on how he has carried himself -- and other responsibilities, too.
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 19:00:01 +0000