Mariota Arrives In Manhattan for Heisman Ceremony
by Rob Moseley
Editor, GoDucks.com
Photos by Zach Ancell
NEW YORK — The Marcus Mariota awards train rolled into the Big Apple on Saturday morning, for the biggest awards show of them all.
This evening, Mariota will be on hand as one of three finalists for the presentation of the Heisman Trophy. This has the potential to be a landmark day in University of Oregon history, the high point so far of an exceptionally productive season by an exceptionally great young man.
The day began for the Mariota traveling party in Baltimore, where Mariota received the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award on Friday night. John Unitas Jr. picked Mariota and company up from a hotel for the short drive to catch a 7 a.m. ET train to New York City. (Mariota has been to New York before, but was young enough that he doesn't remember.)
Upon arriving at Penn Station, the group was met by a couple representatives of the Heisman Trophy, who shuttled Mariota to the Best Buy Theater for a run-through of tonight's show.
"There's so many people ..." Mariota said as an SUV navigated the streets of the city. The vehicle turned down 7th Avenue at Times Square, perhaps the busiest intersection on Earth, and a few blocks later, Mariota noted that, "I've never heard so much honking in my life." A member of the travel party who grew up on the East Coast chuckled, "This is nothing."
Upon arriving at the theater, Mariota walked up onto the stage where the Heisman ceremony will be held. As photographers clicked away in his direction, Mariota captured the moment for himself.
Back in the green room, a producer led Mariota and fellow finalists Melvin Gordon of Wisconsin and Amari Cooper of Alabama through the ceremony schedule. "It's a long hour, with those lights shining on you," he said.
Then he inquired of Mariota, "You wearing anything we should know about, anything of cultural significance you want us to mention or know about?" The question was understandable given Mariota's Polynesian roots, but Mariota said simply, "just a tie."
After walking back across the street toward the official hotel for Heisman participants, Mariota encountered what had to be the most welcome sight of the last three days — his parents, younger brother and girlfriend. He was on his way to do some interviews but stopped for some quick hugs and a brief chat. The family, meanwhile, was off to do some sight-seeing: "We're going to have some fun without you," Matt Mariota told his big brother.
From there, the Heisman candidates were loaded into twin SUVs and shuttled to the studios of CBS, for an interview segment that ran during halftime of the Army-Navy game. Again, Mariota paused to capture the moment for himself — and himself in the moment.
As the finalists took their seats at the studio desk, Spencer Tillman of CBS leaned in to shake Mariota's hand. "I appreciate all you stand for," Tillman told him, before the cameras had begun rolling. "You're a class act."
CBS wanted to get some footage of the players in a more casual setting. Mariota — who has refused to publicly acknowledge his status as the favorite to win the Heisman — declined to do the "Heisman pose" depicted on the trophy, but did throw a few balls to the Alabama receiver Cooper.
Following the CBS stop, the finalists were off to a tailgate event at a BBQ place near the hotel. There they mingled with fans, posed for pictures and signed autographs.
There was a DJ for the event, introducing past Heisman finalists in attendance and the current group. The DJ perhaps isn't a huge college football fan; he bungled Mariota's last name twice before getting it out.
Hopefully Mariota will hear his named called again later Saturday, and there will be no confusion at all.
