Marcus Mariota

Background

Marcus Mariota was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Alana Deppe-Mariota and Toa Mariota, and into a middle-class Samoan and German family. He played rugby, soccer, and volleyball throughout most of his childhood. Mariota was an average player who was relatively unknown during his first two years of high school. However, in his final year, he underwent a miraculous change and stunned everyone with his on-field prowess. He was named the Interscholastic League of Honolulu Offensive Player of the Year for his outstanding performance. In 2010, he attended the Oregon Football camp to improve his skills, where Mark Helfrich, Oregon’s offensive coordinator, took notice of him. The University of Oregon promptly gave Mariota a scholarship, while several other universities showed an interest in recruiting him.

In 2012, Mariota began his college football career with the Oregon Ducks. In his first season, he started all 13 games for his team and finished the season with 32 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He suffered a knee injury during his second season at Oregon but continued to play for the rest of the season, finishing with a record: he was the first player in Oregon history to eclipse 4,000 yards in a single season. Mariota earned a bachelor’s degree in General Sciences with a focus on Human Physiology from the University of Oregon in 2015 and then entered the 2015 N.F.L. Draft to be selected by the Tennessee Titans as the second overall choice. He made his regular-season debut in September of the same year and set the record for most throwing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in his inaugural season at the age of 19.

Throughout the season, his knee condition worsened in a few games, causing concern for both him and the team. However, this did not prevent him from exceeding expectations. Mariota had his most outstanding season so far by the end of the 2016 season, scoring 26 touchdowns with only nine interceptions while passing for 3,426 yards, a career-high. He was also named one of the 50 Best N.F.L. Players of 2017 by his peers and was awarded the honor of Pro Bowl First Alternate. His contract was picked up for a fifth-year option in April 2018, and then extended for two more years. On social media, Mariota has been quiet about his personal life. His relationship with Kiyomi Cook, on the other hand, is well-known. Although the couple made their first public appearance in 2015, it has been speculated that they have been dating since their college days. They’re now engaged.