Written by Danny Morales
NEW YORK CITY — Marcus Mariota became the first University of Oregon Duck to ever win the Heisman Trophy when his name was called on Saturday night at the Best Buy Theater in New York City as the 80th winner of the Heisman Memorial Trophy.
Mariota’s play during the regular season spoke for itself as the junior quarterback threw for 3,783 yards with 38 touchdowns and only two interceptions giving him a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 19. He also added 14 touchdowns on the ground, bringing his total for the season to 53, which tied him with Sam Bradford for the most ever by a Heisman winner.
“It’s just something you dream of as a little kid,” said Mariota of the honor. “To stand up on the podium and try and make a speech after all that and all the emotions that are going through you it’s definitely tough, you're feeling so excited but at the same time you have to give thanks to everybody thats got you there,
“And that’s why I got emotional because all the hard work of other people led me to where I am today. I just know those sacrifices weren’t easy and I wish I could give them more thanks.”
Along with being the first-ever Heisman winner to come out of Oregon, Mariota is now also the first Hawaiian born player to receiver the award. This is something he takes great pride in and he hopes it will encourage other kids to leave the island and follow their dreams as he did.
Mariota showed how proud he is to be from Hawaii when he came out to the Heisman Trophy press conference decked out in leis that had been given to him by fellow teachers and classmates of his from grade school days back on the island.
“Ohana means family and that’s it right there,” said Mariota in his press conference following the presentation. “In Hawaii if one person is successful the entire state is successful, To be apart of that is something special and it’s hard to explain but I’m just grateful to be apart of it and thankful to be from Hawaii.”
The Heisman Trophy declares Mariota the Outstanding College Football Player in the United States for 2014 and it’ll mark the last of multiple awards for the signal caller out of Saint Louis School in Kaimuki, Hawaii, as he adds college football’s most prestigious honor to his list of trophies won during this season.
Mariota had already won the Maxwell, Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards, making him the most decorated player in college football this season with a grand total of five major awards. But that didn’t stop the junior quarterback from getting choked up during his acceptance speech.
“I had to give thanks to so many people because where I am today is all due to all those people,” said Mariota after winning the Heisman. “It’s hard not to get emotional because it’s been a long journey and for all those people to help me out and to support me and to believe in me just means the world and my emotions got the best of me for sure.”
Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon came in second place in the voting with 1,250 total points, while Alabama wideout Amari Cooper finished in third with 1,023 total points.
Mariota received 90.9 percent of the possible points in voting and beat out Gordon by 1,284 total points and had 751 more first place votes than the Badgers running back.
Now Mariota will have a couple of days of media obligations before he returns to Eugene, Oregon to begin preparing for 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles in the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals on January 1.
Mariota’s play during the regular season spoke for itself as the junior quarterback threw for 3,783 yards with 38 touchdowns and only two interceptions giving him a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 19. He also added 14 touchdowns on the ground, bringing his total for the season to 53, which tied him with Sam Bradford for the most ever by a Heisman winner.
“It’s just something you dream of as a little kid,” said Mariota of the honor. “To stand up on the podium and try and make a speech after all that and all the emotions that are going through you it’s definitely tough, you're feeling so excited but at the same time you have to give thanks to everybody thats got you there,
“And that’s why I got emotional because all the hard work of other people led me to where I am today. I just know those sacrifices weren’t easy and I wish I could give them more thanks.”
Along with being the first-ever Heisman winner to come out of Oregon, Mariota is now also the first Hawaiian born player to receiver the award. This is something he takes great pride in and he hopes it will encourage other kids to leave the island and follow their dreams as he did.
Mariota showed how proud he is to be from Hawaii when he came out to the Heisman Trophy press conference decked out in leis that had been given to him by fellow teachers and classmates of his from grade school days back on the island.
“Ohana means family and that’s it right there,” said Mariota in his press conference following the presentation. “In Hawaii if one person is successful the entire state is successful, To be apart of that is something special and it’s hard to explain but I’m just grateful to be apart of it and thankful to be from Hawaii.”
The Heisman Trophy declares Mariota the Outstanding College Football Player in the United States for 2014 and it’ll mark the last of multiple awards for the signal caller out of Saint Louis School in Kaimuki, Hawaii, as he adds college football’s most prestigious honor to his list of trophies won during this season.
Mariota had already won the Maxwell, Walter Camp, Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm awards, making him the most decorated player in college football this season with a grand total of five major awards. But that didn’t stop the junior quarterback from getting choked up during his acceptance speech.
“I had to give thanks to so many people because where I am today is all due to all those people,” said Mariota after winning the Heisman. “It’s hard not to get emotional because it’s been a long journey and for all those people to help me out and to support me and to believe in me just means the world and my emotions got the best of me for sure.”
Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon came in second place in the voting with 1,250 total points, while Alabama wideout Amari Cooper finished in third with 1,023 total points.
Mariota received 90.9 percent of the possible points in voting and beat out Gordon by 1,284 total points and had 751 more first place votes than the Badgers running back.
Now Mariota will have a couple of days of media obligations before he returns to Eugene, Oregon to begin preparing for 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston and the Florida State Seminoles in the inaugural College Football Playoff semifinals on January 1.