A sigh of relief, a tear of pride and a chant of excitement … Marcus Mariota has won the Heisman.
Mariota began his speech by saying thank you and that he is humbled by this award. Listening to this acceptance speech was amazing as Mariota thanked so many different people, you and I would be lying if we said we didn’t tear up a little bit! Mariota has had a three year career at the University of Oregon and has continued to shock, amaze and excite everyone involved with Oregon Duck football, from the players to the coaches to, us, the fans.
As a sports reporter for FishDuck.com, I have had the opportunity to follow our Duck’s football team throughout almost the entire season. I have attended various press conferences, researched many players and their statistics, and watched each game more intently as I analyzed and pondered what I would write next. I’d be lying if I said Mariota wasn’t my favorite Duck to write about and research; every time I searched for statistics on this esteemed young man I found something new and amazing.
Marcus Mariota, the 2014 Heisman Trophy Winner.
Mariota won this award with a 90.9 percent of possible points in the Heisman trophy voting, the second highest mark in the past 50 years! Mariota has accompished so much just this season, not to mention in his entire career at the University of Oregon.
He leads the nation in passer rating (186.2), is fifth in total offense (342.5 yards per game), led the Ducks to a Pac-12 Championship title and now to the Rose Bowl in hopes of heading towards the National Championship game. One accomplishment that has stuck in my head is that Mariota has thrown atleast one touchdown pass in every game he has played in his career. Every. Single. Game.
In an article on ESPN College Football, the writer says, “In an era when so many Heisman winners seemingly come from out of nowhere — the past two were the first freshmen winners — Mariota’s rise was slow and steady.” Slow is a little contradicting to the speed that Mariota truly possesses on that field, but in this overall case, slow and steady did win the race. I could not be more proud to be a Duck fan and to have had the honor of writing about this program and the best quarterback in the nation, Marcus Mariota.
Top Photo Screenshot from Television Presentation
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McKalie Bellew just moved to Oregon from Arizona. She is a sophomore at Lane Community College and moved here to pursue her dream of studying Sports Journalism and Broadcasting at the University of Oregon. Her passion for sports is admirable and her determination and hunger for success in the sports field is fascinating; if you ever have the chance to talk to McKalie face-to-face about sports, you’ll know how much she loves these games just by the way her eyes light up during the conversation. When unable to attend Ducks home games you can find her in front of a television on the edge of her seat, cheering her crazed-fan-head off. McKalie appreciates your feedback and constructive-criticism to help her become a better writer and reporter.