U.S.A.
January 19, 2015
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 9
Heisman winner Marcus Mariota is headed to the NFL
By Anne M. Peterson
AP Sports Writer
eisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, whose
bold moves and leadership on the field brought
the Ducks to the brink of a national cham-
pionship before falling short, is leaving the University of
Oregon early for the National Football League (NFL).
Mariota announced his long-awaited decision to forgo
his senior season on Oregon’s website. The team said he
filed paperwork January 14, a day before the NFL
deadline.
“I will miss being with my teammates,” he said in a
statement. “Being a part of this team was something
special that I will always treasure.”
Mariota has been the humble leader of Oregon’s
high-flying offense for three seasons. This season, the
Ducks (13-2) defeated Florida State at the Rose Bowl in
college football’s first playoffs, but fell 42-20 to Ohio State
in the national championship game.
The 6’4” dual threat from Hawaii won every major
award he qualified for, starting with the Heisman, as well
as AP Player of the Year, the Maxwell and Walter Camp
awards, and Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. He also
won the nation’s top quarterback awards: the Johnny
Unitas Golden Arm Award and the Davey O’Brien
National Quarterback Award.
Mariota set a conference record for most touchdowns in
a single season with 58; 42 via pass, 15 on the run, and a
touchdown catch.
His passing touchdowns set a Pac-12 single-season
record. He also set the conference’s mark for career
touchdowns with 136.
He threw at least one touchdown pass in all 41 college
games he played in at Oregon, starting in every one of his
appearances. And he’s one of just four quarterbacks in the
history of the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) to pass for
more than 10,000 yards and run for more than 2,000 in his
career.
“It’s been an honor to watch Marcus develop over the
last four years, and I’m excited to see what his future
holds,” Oregon coach Mark Helfrich said in a statement.
“He’s given this program everything we could have asked,
and he’ll be the standard by which others are judged.
Mahalo.”
Led by Mariota, Oregon finished No. 2 in this season’s
final AP rankings. Overall, the Ducks ranked third in the
nation in total offense with an average of 547 yards per
game. The Ducks’ passing offense under Mariota was
ranked 10th nationally with an average of 312.5 yards a
game. Mariota’s passer efficiency rating (181.7) topped
the nation.
Mariota was known for his steady demeanor from the
start. Off the field, he was shy and unassuming, but he
stayed on the field following every game to shake hands
and pose for pictures.
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Solution to
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Puzzle #34785 (Easy)
All solutions available at
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Mariota said before the season finale that he would
trade his Heisman for a national championship, but it
wasn’t to be. In the final game he threw for 333 yards and
two touchdowns.
“My main focus was to be a great teammate,” he said
following the game. “That’s all I hoped to accomplish. I
don’t really care about legacies.”
Mariota was a three-star recruit for the Ducks out of St.
Louis High School in Honolulu. He is fiercely proud of his
roots: His helmet facemask was designed to include the
DYNAMIC DUCK. Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota runs
for a touchdown during the Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal
game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena,
California, on January 1, 2015. The Ducks won the game 59-20. (AP
Photo/Ben Liebenberg)
numbers 8-0-8 in a nod to the state’s area code, and
following the national championship his family gifted him
with stacks of leis that he wore in the locker room.
“I think you could argue that this was the best, if not
certainly one of the top two or three greatest seasons in
college football history,” Helfrich said of Mariota following
the game. “And then you add in the person and the legacy
that he has from that standpoint, and there has never
been one greater. None.”
Three plays this season exemplified Mariota’s ability to
create on the football field.
Among his four touchdowns in Oregon’s victory over
Wyoming was an acrobatic second-quarter keeper where
he somersaulted into the end zone over receiver Keanon
Lowe and a Cowboys defender.
Then there was an inspired shovel pass to freshman
running back Royce Freeman that gave the Ducks a key
first down in a victory over then-No. 7 Michigan State.
And although the Ducks would lose 24-31 to Arizona on
October 2, Mariota got creative to start the second quarter
when he handed off to Freeman, who lobbed the ball back
to Mariota for a 28-yard touchdown.
Spartans coach Mark Dantonio summed Mariota up
this way: “What he does is lead. What he shows is
toughness. And what he does is create.”
Mariota’s departure leaves the Ducks with uncertainty
Continued on page 13