Marcus Mariota media availability | 8th annual Motiv8 Foundation Golf Tournament

all right uh another year here eth annual just what's what makes this year so special um every year is so special for us um really cool this is the eth annual year um and crazy thing this is it's been 10 years since the Heisman so that's kind of what we're um talking about throughout this internet tournament um green and yellow gifts you know green and yellow slippers like uh it's crazy to think that all this time has passed um but what's really cool is just motivates made a difference and it's thanks to the support and the generosity of so many people a lot of people have been here since day one um so to be able to enjoy this 10th year uh with everybody is really cool for us yeah and you know 10 years since you know the Heisman and all that just what what what do you you know what stands out to you when you think back to that time when you were Eugene and that kind that run you went on oh I just it's crazy right like I think about the Rel relationships that I've built um there's a few of my teammates that are here today and football has an amazing way to bring people together and just the the people the teammates that's that's what I think most of um you know it's it was such a fun run we had such a good group of guys um but it was collectively just a a really defined group on hey we want to this is what we want to do and we did it all together and um you know it's it's those stories that we talk about that brings us back here and um you know I'm glad that some of these guys will be able to be here today with me um but for me just thinking back 10 years ago that's that's what I remember most um Marcus uh speaking of the number eight um I know Dylan Gabriel is wearing number eight this year um first quarterback from Hawaii to play for Oregon since you um first guy to wear that number as a quarterback um what's the story behind you um giving him approval for that number oh he didn't need he didn't need my approval I mean he he was he was nice enough to reach out um but for me like the fact of the matter is he told me he wore eight because of you know what we were able to accomplish at Oregon and um that in itself is just such a incredible compliment um so I I mean I had no problems with it whatsoever and it's it's really cool to to see that um makes me feel old a little bit you know I've known Dylan since he was a young kid and uh to see him wear the green and yellow and to see him wear eight this year is it's going to be special and um I'm excited to see what they do um I told him no pressure man just go be yourself and he's going to represent that member really well and yeah eighth annual uh golf tournament but you know I believe it's the first time it's here right um have you gotten to play here before and just kind of what you seen out in the course before this tournament start yeah I've been very fortunate to be out here with wlea for a number of years um and I love it it's it's a great course um they keep been in great condition all year um it's tough It's going to be windy um I believe Ernie ell was the designer of of the course and he put like a bunch of bunkers everywhere so we we we'll be able to see what these guys say coming off the the course but um I love it and they've welcomed us with open arms we had a kind of a scheduling conflict and um they' made the transition very easy for us when you started this tournament did you think it was going to have be this much of an impactful you know movement for people and and and the you know the way that it's gotten so much bigger every year did you ever anticipate that it would become this not at all not at all all um very fortunate football has kind of giving me a platform but it's truly the generosity of the people that support motivate that make make it what it is um so for us it's it's very important to be able to to put this together um not only just to say thank you but you know to kind of raise awareness and to um you know kind of Define maybe what's going to happen over the course of next year for people so um it's truly a blessing um it's crazy to think that it's it's been 10 years but again it it's it's the generosity of the people that have made the difference in the community and motivates just kind of riding along with it you mentioned the the green and yellow um things you're giving out today and um I'm from Oregon so I know how everyone you know respects you out there and what the university has done for you have you thought that 10 years later that the chemistry the relationship between Oregon and you would still be what it is I would I would hope like I was when I was done um it still is it's a second home for for us um you know I really for me why you kind of made me who I am and but I was really able to kind of Define myself as a person when I left and to be in Eugene and Oregon the state of Oregon kind of helped me accomplish that so I am forever tied to the state of Oregon um you know the university just done so much not only for me but so many athletes that have come through there and um just I'm thankful I really it's hard to even express kind of the gratefulness um but yeah it's it's fun to be able to kind of you know bring it all here in Hawaii and kind of show um kind of what I've done in the state of Oregon and kind of bring it here in Hawaii um and kind of bring those two worlds together I think that's really important for me because at the end of the day I am who I am because of Hawaii and of and of Oregon talk about this year's uh Community award recipients with L Luna and then the Lina pop warner team yeah L Luna obviously an incredible story and um You Know Rich and the and the coaching staff there to get those kids together and to really football side just kind of bring a distraction and bring um some just love and compassion there um you know their story was kind of spread all over the world but they they are truly just an amazing group and then also L Luna the the Chiefs um pop warner team they were again it's just those kids they find a way um in the midst of everything that had happened um to come together and football's got a beautiful way to do that but I think for them they were able just to kind of enjoy being together and um it's fun to be able to share their story a little bit but also just give them uh just recognition for what they were able to accomplish what is this time in the calendar year usually mean for you in terms of your offseason regimen and then uh what do you think about this next uh opportunity in the in the league coming up right yeah it's year 10 so I've kind of gone through this a few times so every year um as people don't people don't know we had like a 5we Break um at the end and right really from middle of June to July till Camp starts um I always come home first thing I do is come home and I try to spend about a week here and then I train in Oregon so I spend kind of the rest of the month up there um but really it's for me it's to come back it's to kind of get rejuvenated it's it's a time to reflect and kind of get ready to go um and I really kind of take this time and and make sure it's it's important for me it's a priority um and then once I once I leave I kind of get in that mindset all right it's time to go and for me I always like to kind of do that up in Oregon um I still train with Coach Radcliff uh the strength of conditioning coach at Oregon and um it's just kind of for me it's a mindset it's kind of get get going I get my time at home in Hawaii I get kind of that peacefulness and then you know I kind of get ramped up again so um you know for us it's it's kind of an interesting five weeks cuz you go from OTAs and you prepare and you kind of hit a peak for you physically and then you get kind of some time off so I just try to maintain that all the way through um you know I don't really take a whole lot of time off during these these 5 weeks but I'm excited for this it's um it's kind of crazy right it's it's a brand new opportunity it's a whole new franchise uh ownership you know coaching staff I mean there's 40 free agents in there that we all came together so um to be able to kind of do this whole thing together is a very unique opportunity and um one that I found pretty special and um OT was fun we got to know everybody um guys are working hard and grinding um and I'm looking forward to getting cam going and and see where this goes what was it like to uh work with Jaden Daniels and uh you know be kind of like a mentor to him it's been great you know and he's he's one of those guys early in the facility last guy out um you know and that that work ethic I think is really going to help him sustain um his career so it's been really great we got a great quarterback room alongside Sam Harman and Jeff Drisco and um I think it's important you know I really believe the quarterback position is one of the hardest positions to play in sports um and the healthier your quarterback room is uh the support of each other I think being able to compete day in and day out with one another I think that ultimately makes that room that much better and when you're able to do that I think it really lifts your team up U Marcus what's been the key to um you know being in the league for 10 years um a true Milestone um what would your advice be to anyone who wants to you know sustain that level of of um you know just being in that league for that long sacrifice um but it it takes a a huge support system um I wouldn't be standing here today without my family without my friends um and really like the support that I've gotten from the state of Hawaii and as well as from Oregon so like it it really comes down to choosing who you want to be around um pushing yourself to be the best version of yourself day in and day out never settling never being content and um you know you'll pick your head up after a few years and realize that you played 10 years and it's kind of crazy it goes by fast but I'm a True Believer in working hard and putting forth your best effort every single day have you you know you mentioned that have you kind of taken a second to just take a step back and and kind of look at that journey and and kind of almost like a hit you moment when you realize it is going to be your 10th year in the league yeah and that's kind of why I enjoy coming home for a little bit um because it it does allow me to step back and get that perspective um cuz you can really just go go go and not really think about it um but for me I always find balance when I able when I'm able to reflect um so yeah it's just kind of funny we were sitting there yesterday for Father's Day um you know sitting there with my dad and it's just like I play we played catch and I was like gosh that I can't remember last time we played catch right like it's crazy to think about that and you know we got a few more gray hairs and you know maybe balding a little bit for my dad but that's all right you know it's just it's fun to be able just to go out there and play that game cuz that's why why ultimately I played was to enjoy it and to have fun and um you know it is it is pretty wild to think that it's been 10 years uh wouldn't trade any of it for anything um I really believe that my experiences have allowed me to create value um but also give me a platform and um you know share a little bit about Hawaii share a little bit about Oregon um and we'll see where this ends up you know I have no idea I got no plans on stopping anytime soon and um you know just enjoy this this journey uh yeah Happy Father's Day like you mentioned um how has a fatherhood um Chang your perspective on you know just how you approach everything oh man it uh it's changed my perspective so much in the sense that every single day I was so focused on myself I was focused on you know what I got to do from a football standpoint what I got to do from you know a marketing that kind of stuff and then when you have a child it's like all that goes out the window and it's about raising your kid and and being there for your child and that I think has been such a healthy balance for me um I'm very tipe like I got to do things like now now now now and she has allowed me to kind of take a step back and gain some patience um so it's it's been so much fun and regardless of what I do the best moment of my day is coming home and she's she says Dada you know so it's that in itself makes everything worthwhile and um you know I'm excited to just kind of help her go through her her life and give give her that perspective that I've been able again from her um last year you were on a a part three just kind of letting you know with all the groups coming through and taking a shot is that kind of the SYM setup is this year and with that being said how's the shot how's it feeling so I I don't know if you guys have been out here hole 12 is a tough hole and that's where I'm going to be at it's like over the water kind of somewhat of an island green so we'll see how this goes today um but yeah I I love playing with every single group I think that's important um people come out here they spend money and to be able to share a moment with them get to know them talk about motivate what it's done what it continues to do I think is important so I'm looking forward to it but yes whole 12 is going to be tough today