Marcus Mariota, the Oregon Ducks quarterback, won the Heisman Trophy Saturday night. He shared some powerful leadership principles in his emotional acceptance speech.
1. Stay humble.
"Thank you. I am humbled to be standing here today and honored by this award."
2. Show gratitude.
"Thank you, Heisman Trust, for making this night possible. Everything you do has made so many dreams come true."
3. Appreciate your competition.
"Amari [Cooper], Melvin [Gordon], it’s been a pleasure meeting you both, and I wish you continued success."
4. Share the honor.
"This award belongs to my teammates. The amount of hard work and sacrifice that each of them has made has not gone unnoticed. Thank you to the offensive line and their ability to fight through adversity. Thank you to the skill guys, who constantly make my job a lot easier. Thank you to the defense, for making our team complete and bailing the offense out of bad situations. And to all my teammates: I love every single one of you, and I’m truly grateful for all the experiences. I hope each of you will take pride and understand that this is your trophy."
5. Salute your mentors.
"Coach Helfrich, Coach Frost, and Coach Kelly, thank you for the opportunity. You took a chance on me, and I am truly grateful. And to the rest of the coaches and teachers throughout my life, thank you for the countless life lessons that have shaped me into who I am today."
6. Wear your colors proudly.
"Thank you to the University of Oregon for the education and support. Thank you to the community of Eugene, for the hospitality and allowing me to meet wonderful people like Phil Knight. Phil and Penny, thank you for your contributions to the university. And to Duck fans everywhere: Thank you."
7. Celebrate your past.
"To the men of Kalaepohaku and the St. Louis [High School] brotherhood, thank you for teaching me to always be mindful and faithful. A special thanks goes to my boys, who believed in me. Thank you."
8. Stay grounded.
"To Hawaii nei [beloved Hawaii], thank you for teaching me humility and respect, two aspects of my life that I will never change."
9. Inspire others.
"To the Polynesian community, I hope and pray that this is only the beginning. Young Poly athletes everywhere, you should take this as motivation, and dream big and strive for greatness."
9. Honor your father and mother.
"Finally, Mom, Dad, Matt and the rest of my family, thank you. Thank you for sacrificing and providing me and Matt every opportunity we could have. Words can’t express how much you guys mean to me. I’m truly grateful to have you guys in my life. Mom and Dad, thank you for your love and for sharing that with me and Matt. We are truly grateful."
10. Remember the Lord.
"Fa’afetai tele lava [thank you very much]. God bless... and go Ducks."
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Mariota is involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Oregon. In Sharing the Victory, FCA's national magazine, he shares more about his faith in Christ in an article entitled "In His Own Words."
Prior to the 2014 college football season, FCA Magazine traveled to Eugene, Ore., to interview Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota about his faith, how it translates onto the field as he goes “All In” for Christ and his team, and what God has taught him during his time as a Duck.
Mariota said, “Going ‘All In’ for God is glorifying Him with the abilities He’s given us and shining our light for Him.”
FCA: How is your faith a part of you being a football player?
MM: Being a football player, faith plays a huge role. When things start to get rough you find comfort in your faith. Knowing that no matter what, you can dust yourself off and be okay. And you know you do it for [God’s] glory. You do it for your teammates, your family, but also for His glory and to represent His name.
FCA: Through the ups and downs of a season, how do you feel like your faith strengthens you?
MM: Going through the challenges of the season, my faith has been the steadying force that’s pushed me, along with my family, my friends and my teammates. Losing–especially here [at Oregon]–is tough. We have high expectations as a program to go and win national championships. It’s a huge pressure, but you learn a lot about yourself through it. Coach [Scott] Frost has helped me learn that football doesn’t define me. It’s just what I do. That was a huge life lesson for me. I really took that and ran with it. My faith is what keeps me going and I can always grow in that.
FCA: What comes to mind when you think about going “All In” for Christ?
MM: I think as an athlete when you’re able to go out there and have the abilities that the Lord has blessed you with, you want to glorify Him. You want to go out there to represent Him in the right light. To represent your family in the right light and to do that through His power.
FCA: How has FCA impacted your faith while at Oregon?
MM: FCA allows athletes to find a family away from home. You’re able to bond through your faith, as well as the difficult times in sports. We relate to each other as athletes and grow in our faith and as human beings.
FCA: What has God taught you about yourself while at Oregon?
MM: Since I’ve been here at Oregon, I think my faith has grown tremendously. In high school, I learned about God and Jesus Christ, but I wasn’t really invested in it. I think coming here I got involved with FCA and [FCA’s] Tony [Overstake] and it really introduced me into my walk and into my journey. I’m not perfect, but I’m encouraged everyday to continue to open up in my faith. I’ve learned that no matter what, my faith will guide me. However I play on the field, I know my faith will guide me. After sports, my faith will guide me. As I’ve grown in my faith, that’s something that’s given me comfort. God has taught me that I can trust in Him. No matter what–whether things are good or bad–I know I can always trust in Him. And that has really allowed me to go All In for Him.
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“Going All In is glorifying God with the abilities He’s given us and shining our light for Him. It’s being motivated to always set the bar higher and never getting complacent. We do that with His power for His glory.” – Oregon’s Marcus Mariota in the November/December 2014 FCA Magazine
“When I relentlessly pursue Christ, I put all my faith in Him to be able to play well and lead my team. With His power, we are able to pursue and play for His glory. We want to go out and show the world that Christ lives.” – Oregon’s Marcus Mariota in the November/December 2013 FCA Magazine
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