Love the work ethic. http://www.nola.com/sugarbowl/index.ssf/2015/01/marcus_mariota_already_focusin.html By Trey Iles, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune on January 17, 2015 at 11:36 AM, updated January 17, 2015 at 11:43 AMIt didn't take long for Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota to move on. Just three days after losing to Ohio State, 42-20, in the first College Football Playoff National Championship, Mariota was in San Diego getting ready for the 2015 NFL Draft set for April 30-May 2.Mariota, a junior, declared for the draft Wednesday, then was off to San Diego."I'm going to take the next few weeks and get ready for the (NFL) combine,'' Mariota said. "Once the combine is done, figure out the best day for the pro day and figure the logistics of that. For now, I'm in San Diego and I'm preparing for the draft.''He also picked up another award for the 2014 season Friday and from a family he's gotten to know quite well the last three summers, the Mannings.Mariota was named the Manning Award presented by the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Friday to the nation's top college quarterback. Unlike other collegiate awards, the postseason figures into who wins.Patriarch Archie Manning said it has been a pleasure getting to know Mariota and to watch him grow into what he has become."I am so proud of him the way he represented college football this past year,'' Manning said. "A remarkable athlete, we saw that the first time he came. Marcus blossomed a little bit. Kind of quiet the first year and reserved, which is nothing wrong with that. He does such a great job with our kids. I don't think we've had a finer person win this award.''Mariota, 6-foot-4, 211 pounds, had a blockbuster season, leading Oregon (13-2) to the PAC-12 title and into the first CFP playoff. He set PAC-12 records for total touchdowns (58), total offense (5,224) and led the nation in total quarterback rating (90.8). He became the first player in PAC-12 history to account for 5,000 yards of total offense in a single season.He completed 304 of 445 passes for 4,454 yards and 42 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He also rushed for 770 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.For all that, he was the runaway Heisman Trophy winner.But all that is over now and it's on to the NFL where he has been projected by some pundits as the No. 1 pick by the Tampa Bay Bucs. Another former Heisman winner, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, could also land in that coveted spot.Mariota says it makes no difference to him about being the top pick. He just wants the chance to play. And no, he said, he wouldn't mind being reunited with his old coach Chip Kelly, the former Oregon coach who became the Philadelphia Eagles boss in 2013.That could be a tall order as the Eagles don't pick until the 20th slot in the first round and Mariota would likely be long gone by then.But several people, including former Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham and Oregon Live columnist John Canzano, said Philadelphia should do whatever it takes to get Mariota, who they say is the perfect fit for Kelly's uptempo offense.Mariota said, ultimately, it doesn't matter."For me, whatever team wants me, I'd love to play for them,'' Mariota said. "My relationship with Coach Kelly, it would be a lot of fun to be a part of that offense and be a part of that team. But for me any team that wants me to be a part their club, I'm all for it. Whatever happens, happens.''
