Marcus banters with Patrick, talking about audibles, his NFL decision and Phil Knight, but mostly displaying a good sense of humor as the radio personality riffs on fame and football:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9TkrBXT6rM]Mike Florio of nbc.com posted that Chip Kelly was asked about Mariota today on Philadelphia sports radio, and the former coach offered this emphatic endorsement, which tight-roped the line on what coaches can say about undeclared underclassmen:
“I think Marcus will be successful whether he’s an NFL player, a banker, a teacher, a fireman, a policeman,” Kelly said Monday on 94WIP in Philly. “I’ve said it before about some other players, but if you can buy stock in a human being,you buy stock in that kid because he’ll always be successful in anything he does. . . . I felt lucky that I had an opportunity to coach a young man like that. When you listen to his [Heisman Trophy] acceptance speech, I think it’s maybe a sliver of what we got the chance to experience every day to be around him. He’s a special young man. I know I’m better person for being associated with him.”
Oregon center Hroniss Grasu told Tyson Alger of the Oregon that Mariota’s Heisman win and he said, “Probably the proudest moment I’ve ever had in my whole life. As far as everything, as far as sports, he’s the one I looked up to and deserves it more than anyone.”
Photo above: Marcus Mariota at the Heisman gala dinner with 17 of his new fraternity brothers, including Jim Plunkett, Matt Leinart, Steve Spurrier, Tony Dorsett, Archie Griffin, Andre Ware and other legends of the game (UO photo).
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