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Marcus Mariota top contender for Heisman

American Samoa is once again in the spotlight in the world of football. This time, it has nothing to do with the National Football League (NFL) but instead, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA).

 

Twenty-one-year-old Marcus Mariota, the star quarterback for the University of Oregon Ducks, is perhaps the biggest name in college football right now. But you would never be able to tell. Sports writers across the nation have described him as being ‘boring’, ‘passive’ and ‘too nice’ but one thing they all agree on: The guy is a god on the football field.

 

Sports Illustrated called him “the most prolific quarterback in Oregon history,” and his stats can only confirm that. A three-year starter who has totaled 10,125 career passing yards, with 2,136 rushing yards and 131 scores, Mariota is definitely the reason why Oregon has, for the first time ever, earned a spot in college football playoffs. A win there would give the Ducks their first national championship.

 

This past Thursday night in Florida, Mariota went a perfect three-for-three when he swept the College Football Awards Show, walking away with the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, the Maxwell Award (presented to the college player of the year), and the Walter Camp National Player of the Year Award.

 

Now, Mariota is the front-runner for the coveted Heisman Trophy, which, according to wikipedia.com “is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football in the United States whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity.”

 

The name of the Heisman Trophy winner will be officially announced tonight.

 

ESPN says that winning the Heisman Trophy is worth at least $800,000 over a lifetime ($200,000 for autograph deals, $200,000 for public appearances and speeches, and $400,000 for a shoe deal), not counting the amount of doors that open just by joining the elite fraternity.

 

The winner of the Heisman is selected by votes that are cast by sports journalists, previous Heisman Trophy winners, and fans.

 

Mariota is currently a junior who, much to the disappointment of numerous NFL teams and fans, bypassed a chance to enter the NFL draft to finish off his senior year at Oregon. He is the potential No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

 

Known for his quiet demeanor and shying away from the spotlight, Mariota stands to be the first player to win the Maxwell Award and the Heisman Trophy in the same season since 2010 when Auburn University’s Cam Newton did it.

 

His chances are great though, as four straight winners of the Davey O’Brien Award have gone on to win the Heisman.

 

Yesterday, Mariota’s aunt, Vaosefa Mariota Grey told the Samoa News that Marcus has always been very quiet. “He is only outspoken when he’s around family,” she said. “He takes that from my dad (Marcus’s grandfather) Taulauniu Mariota who passed away in 2011.”

 

It was during his grandfather’s funeral that Marcus last set foot in American Samoa, which he has visited a handful of times.

 

His family is from the village of Laulii and they are just overwhelmed with pride. They show their support for Marcus by displaying Oregon flags, stickers, and decals on their vehicles. Also, throughout the football season, homemade banners made of fabric hang from the second story of their home, spray painted with his name, jersey number, and messages of support.

 

“We are all very proud of Marcus,” Mariota-Grey said. “We support him from across the ocean and applaud his achievements.”

 

Mariota-Grey said that Marcus’s life has always been centered around his family.

 

“He has always said that his family comes first,” she said.

 

Marcus’s uncle, Jimmy Grey (who is an assistant football coach for the Faga’itua Vikings) said, “We are so proud of Marcus’s accomplishments and we support him for staying humble. It’s hard to believe how someone can be a star and be so quiet about it, but I guess everyone’s different.”

 

He added, “We wish him the best of luck in the upcoming Rose Bowl and the playoffs, especially throughout his football career.”

 

Mariota is a graduate of Saint Louis School in the Aloha State, leading everyone to believe that he is of Hawaiian descent when in fact, his father, Toa Mariota was born and raised in American Samoa and is the son of Taulauniu and Simeaola Mariota of Laulii (Aumi). His mother, Ala Deppe-Mariota is Caucasian and he has one sibling, a brother named Matt.

 

“Even though news reports from off island refer to him as being Hawaiian, Marcus is Samoan,” Mariota-Grey said. “This is something he knows and is very proud of.”

 

For now, Polynesians here and around the world are anxiously waiting for the official announcement naming this year’s Heisman Trophy winner. Mariota is predicted to win by a landslide and if he does, he will become the first Samoan to ever achieve such a feat, adding yet another entry in the territory’s history book.

 

The Samoa News/To’asavili join the rest of the Samoans here and abroad in wishing Marcus Mariota the best! Good luck Marcus. O ou mama na.