MADRID — As Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota dined together with his mother and father and brother Tuesday night time, one thought dominated their dialogue: Are you able to imagine soccer took Mariota from a tiny highschool in Hawaii a few years in the past to beginning within the first NFL recreation performed in Spain?
“By no means in my wildest goals would I think about I might be sitting right here right this moment,” Mariota mentioned. “We have been like, ‘That is wild.’ My dad was like, ‘That is unbelievable that we’re sitting right here right this moment and also you’re enjoying soccer and this recreation has introduced us right here.'”
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However Mariota shouldn’t be the one quarterback from Saint Louis Excessive Faculty in Honolulu to start out on this recreation. That, in fact, can be the place Tua Tagovailoa started his enjoying profession, following in Mariota’s footsteps.
Sunday’s recreation between two 3-7 groups (9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Community, NFL+) was alleged to be a matchup between Jayden Daniels and Tagovailoa, however Daniels suffered a dislocated left elbow two weeks in the past. That paved the way in which for Mariota to start out, doing so towards a participant he has mentored since Tagovailoa was in highschool.
Tagovailoa was a junior in highschool when Mariota started working with him at camps. Tagovailoa as soon as mentioned that when others pushed him away, Mariota would pull him apart at a time when Mariota was one of many prime quarterbacks within the nation.
Although many assumed that Tagovailoa would observe Mariota and play at Oregon, he pivoted and headed for Alabama — all with Mariota’s help.
“Lots of people know I regarded as much as Marcus after I was in highschool,” Tagovailoa mentioned. “I used to be a giant fan of him, nonetheless am, simply of the person who he’s exterior of the participant and simply blissful for his success. I do know he is been going by means of ebbs and flows all through years and groups, however if you happen to get to know the form of individual he’s, I believe the enjoying and whatnot is second.”
Mariota has all the time deflected reward for serving to Tagovailoa.
However each quarterbacks have had success and failure within the NFL. Mariota was the second decide by Tennessee in 2015, however accidents and benchings have led to an up-and-down profession; he is together with his fifth franchise — as a extremely valued backup.
Tagovailoa has performed with solely Miami because it drafted him fifth in 2020. He has made the Professional Bowl (2023) and suffered accidents, together with three documented concussions, since getting into the NFL. He has been praised and criticized.
However he is nonetheless the starter in Miami, and he is hoping time abroad might help spark the curiosity of a younger participant from one other nation.
“I believe it is a actually cool alternative for lots of the youngsters again residence in Hawaii and a whole lot of the youngsters in Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga, wherever they’re inside the Pacific,” Tagovailoa mentioned, “to have the ability to see two Polynesian quarterbacks go at it. After which it is also cool to see all the things come full circle with me with the ability to look as much as Marcus, to having an opportunity to play towards him.”
Mariota agreed.
“For Tua and myself, we grew up in the midst of the Pacific,” he mentioned, “far-off from right here. The truth that we get an opportunity to be a part of this recreation is particular, and I do not take that without any consideration in any respect.”
