Mahalo, Marcus: Mariotas legacy leaves many saying thank you to Oregon Ducks quarterback By Andrew Greif | The Oregonian/OregonLive January 14, 2015 at 5:39 PM The discussions of and praise for Marcus Mariotas legacy as Oregon Ducks quarterback reached full volume Wednesday, shortly before noon, when the junior announced he would not return as a senior. The NFL is his next destination, not graduate school. But for Ryon Wheeler, a man who has never met Mariota, the quarterbacks resonance sunk in the day before — his second day on the job as chief executive officer of the Boys & Girls Club of Emerald Valley in Eugene — with a discussion of shoulders. To be clear, it was not altogether unexpected that part of his day would center around the Ducks and Mariota. Soon after arriving last October from Indiana to interview for the job, Wheeler discovered what kind of a hold the volunteers from Oregons football team had on the clubs kids, and vice versa, when they threw Mariota, the Ducks star quarterback, a surprise 21st birthday party. Before he could drink legally, Mariota munched on two types of cakes -- chocolate cake with white frosting is his favorite -- with elementary schoolers up to his knee. So on Tuesday morning, the kids at the club mourned No. 2 Oregons loss to No. 4 Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship like most other Eugene residents. But their discussions of Buckeye defender Joey Bosas pile-driving hit on Mariota took on a more personal tone than most. To hear them say, When he got drove to the ground, I thought his shoulder was hurt and I was so worried because I thought my friends shoulder was hurt, Wheeler said. It wasnt Marcus Mariota, Heisman Trophy winner, potential NFL star. It was him as a friend. It is highly unlikely that Mariota, who is famously low-key and uncomfortable discussing himself and his accomplishments, wanted such outpouring to follow his long-expected announcement. But there was no stopping it. From across the Northwest, and the country, applause for Mariotas career filtered in all day, and will reverberate for months as Oregon goes about trying to replace the All-American. Love that guy! tweeted Ducks receiver Devon Allen. But if there was ever a tenor hed approve of, it would be the feeling that emerged Wednesday that hed become something of an unofficial family member and friend during his four years in Eugene to those he didnt even know because he became as famous for what he didnt do (off-field headlines) as what he did (a Heisman, among other highlights during an unprecedented awards haul). Thank you for redefining excellence, tweeted Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich, whose 2010 trip to Honolulu to recruit the St. Louis High quarterback with only one other scholarship offer is as stitched into Oregon football lore as Nike Dri-FIT fabric. Mahalo, Marcus.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 18:00:00 +0000
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