LOS ANGELES — Marcus Mariota has had enough.
For nearly a month, the Oregon quarterback has bounced from city to city, collecting awards and doing countless interviews, repeating so many of the same answers to so many of the same questions. He had won the Heisman Trophy by excelling at what he loves doing most, but the honor came attached with what he likes doing least — talking about himself.
“One day back in Eugene after his whirlwind Marcus Mariota tour, I think he was just fed up with it and done with it and he decided he wasn’t going to do any interviews that day,” Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost said. “He doesn’t like being in front of the cameras and the media. I love him for it. I’m glad we have a guy that doesn’t crave those type of things and that type of attention. I think that’s part of what makes him, him. When he’s on the football field, that’s when he’s in his happy place.”
Ending a stretch that included a memorable, emotional Heisman speech and a visit to the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Mariota made one final media appearance Tuesday, before he leads the No. 2 Ducks against No. 3 Florida State in the first-ever College Football Playoff semifinal.
The Hawaii native was polite as always, sporting a smile, which signaled relief that he will be returning to the reason for his celebrity on Thursday, playing the biggest game of his life in front of 94,000-plus fans at the Rose Bowl with millions more watching in their homes, finally feeling comfortable and finally feeling like he’s “part of the team again.”
“I’d be lying to you if I didn’t tell you I was looking forward to this being done,” Mariota said. “You just get so tired. And it was a lot of obligations.
“I don’t like being in the limelight. I don’t like the spotlight. I would prefer just to go about my business and not have to deal with some of the stuff like this.”
Though the few weeks since he has played a game feel like forever to Mariota, the long gap still may not be enough time for Florida State to figure out how to slow a star who has been humiliating defenses for the past three years.
After watching film of an historic season in which Mariota accounted for 52 total touchdowns and threw only two interceptions, Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher came up with a solution to stopping the ultimate dual-threat.
“Daggum, get 14 guys on the field,” Fisher said jokingly. “This guy is so dynamic in how he commands his offense, he can beat you in the pocket, he can beat you with his feet. He understands the run game. He can zone read you, quarterback run. … You’re never going to stop a guy like that. You’ve got to try to contain and make sure the guys around him don’t get all theirs. … Mariota is your focus, but you’ve got to be careful not to focus on him so much the other guys kill you.”
Since winning the Heisman, Mariota has been critiqued more than at any point in his career, being questioned about whether he is worthy of the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, whether his success is due to Oregon’s unbelievably successful offensive system and whether he’s too nice to lead at the next level.
The soft-spoken sensation — who said he would spend a few days with his family after the final game of the season to determine whether he’ll leave school before his senior season — understands those at the top are often the top target, so the questions don’t bother him much.
And now, at least he can finally respond the best way he knows how.
“I’m just looking forward to playing the game now,” Mariota said. “You’re playing in the Rose Bowl. The history and tradition of the Rose Bowl, if that doesn’t get you excited, I don’t know what will.”