Home / Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota: The Heisman

The first Oregon player, the first Polynesian, and the first player from Hawaii to win the Heisman Trophy. December 13, 2014.

53
Total TDs (2014)
38 pass, 14 rush, 1 rec
2
INTs (2014)
38:2 TD to INT ratio
186.3
Passer rating
Led the nation
90.92%
Heisman vote %
2nd highest in history
His parents sold their home overlooking Diamond Head in part to finance football camps that would gain him exposure. He was offered just two FBS scholarships. He chose Oregon over Memphis. He and Johnny Manziel were both briefly committed to Oregon before Manziel chose Texas A&M.

2014 Heisman season

Passing: 254-of-372, 3,783 yards, 38 TDs, 2 INTs. Rushing: 669 yards, 14 TDs. Completion rate: 68.3%. Led the nation in TDs, passing efficiency, and total offense (4,452 yards).

Awards: Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year.

Vote: 2,534 points. 90.92% of possible points (second highest in Heisman history). 788 of 891 first-place votes.

Heisman Finalists

PlacePlayerPoints
1Marcus Mariota (Oregon)2,534 pts
2Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin)1,250 pts
3Amari Cooper (Alabama)880 pts

Mariota's acceptance speech was famously humble. He thanked his parents, his teammates, and his home state of Hawaii. He choked up talking about his family's sacrifices. It remains one of the most genuine Heisman speeches ever given.

Season by season

YearRecordPass yardsPass TDsINTsRush yardsRush TDs
201212-12,6773267525
201311-23,6653147159
201413-23,78338266914

Career totals

131 career touchdowns (101 passing, 28 rushing, 2 receiving). Just 23 (12 INTs, 11 fumbles lost). TD-to-INT ratio: 8.4:1 (best in career history at the time).

Only player in FBS history to throw 30+ TD passes as a freshman, sophomore, and junior.

NFL

#2 overall pick, 2015 NFL Draft, Tennessee Titans. First Oregon player taken in the top 2 picks. First start: 4 TDs, perfect 158.3 passer rating vs Tampa Bay (first QB in NFL history to do that in a debut).

Heisman.com, ESPN, Wikipedia, NFL.com, Bleacher Report. All stats verified.

Built by fans who were there.

Weekly Oregon football analysis starting 2026 season.