Mariota Reflects on NFL Journey Before Historic Game in Spain

MADRID — As quarterback Marcus Mariota dined with his family on Tuesday night, he reflected on his remarkable journey from a small high school in Hawaii to starting in the first NFL game played in Spain. ‘Never in my wildest dreams would I imagine I’d be sitting here today,’ Mariota said. ‘We were like, ‘This is wild.’ My dad was like, ‘This is unbelievable that we’re sitting here today and you’re playing football and this game has brought us here.’

Alongside Mariota in this historic matchup is Tua Tagovailoa, another quarterback from Saint Louis High School in Honolulu, who was initially expected to play in the game. However, an injury left Tagovailoa on the sidelines, allowing Mariota to take the field against the player he has mentored since Tagovailoa was in high school.

Tagovailoa first looked up to Mariota as a junior in high school, when Mariota was already a notable figure in college football. ‘A lot of people know I looked up to Marcus when I was in high school,’ Tagovailoa said. ‘I was a big fan of him, just of the person he is outside of the player.’

Although Tagovailoa opted for Alabama over Oregon, where Mariota played, the two maintain a close relationship. They have both faced challenges in their NFL careers; Mariota, the second overall pick in 2015, has dealt with injuries and is currently on his fifth team, while Tagovailoa has faced multiple injuries yet remains the starter for Miami.

‘I think it’s a really cool opportunity for a lot of the kids back home in Hawaii and the Pacific to see two Polynesian quarterbacks compete,’ Tagovailoa said. ‘It shows how far we’ve come.’

In agreement, Mariota said, ‘For Tua and myself, we grew up in the middle of the Pacific. The fact that we get a chance to be part of this game is special, and I don’t take that for granted at all.’