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The spirit of giving and philanthropy is alive and well within the Washington Commanders locker room in 2024.
Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota donated 140 pairs of cleats to the Southern Oregon University football program on Aug. 19, eliminating a massive expense at an NAIA school where the team usually operates on a shoestring budget.
The school, which is located in Ashland, Oregon, announced the donation on its official website and the football team shared an Instagram post of the players receiving the shoes and thanking Mariota. The value of the cleats was approximately $16,500.
“He really appreciates the fact that the team has many Hawaii players and the school has good Hawaii representation,” SOU alumnus Ed Nishioka told the SOU website after helping orchestrate the donation.
Nishioka, like Mariota, is from Hawaii but both have deep ties to the state — Mariota played college football at the University of Oregon and won the Heisman Trophy in 2014.
Mariota Has History of Charitable Giving
After the 2023 Hawaii wildfires devastated Maui and Lahainaluna High School, it was Mariota who stepped in to donate cleats to the LHS program plus an additional $25,000 through his charitable foundation, motiv8foundation.
SOU’s football team also thanked Mariota’s foundation in its Instagram post featuring the cleats reveal.
Mariota, who was born and raised in Honolulu, was the Hawaii Gatorade Player of the Year in 2010 after leading Saint Louis School to a state championship.
According to the SOU website, Mariota visited Ashland when his younger brother, Matt, Mariota, was a tight end at Oregon and considering a transfer to SOU. While his brother ended up staying with the Ducks, the town and program made a lasting impression on Mariota.
Mariota’s head coach his final two seasons at Oregon, Mark Helfrich, was an NAIA All-American quarterback at SOU and a 4-year starter for the Raiders from 1992 to 1995.
SOU plays at 5,000-seat Raider Stadium, won the NAIA national championship in 2014 and finished as NAIA runner-up in 2015.
The Raiders open the season on Sept. 7 at home against Lincoln (Calif.).
Mariota in First Season With Commanders
The Commanders signed Mariota to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million and with a base salary of $6 million on March 12.
Mariota was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the Tennessee Titans and spent five seasons there before spending time with the Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, where he played in 2023.
Mariota has only been the full-time starter for a team once in the last five seasons, going 5-8 in 13 games for the Falcons in 2022. The Commanders will have him as a backup to start the season after rookie Jayden Daniels was announced as the team’s starter on Aug. 19 after winning the job over Mariota in training camp.
“Whatever this staff, whatever this team needs of me, I’m going to do it to the best of my abilities,” Mariota said on a video call with reporters after he signed. “I’ve dealt with a lot of different things throughout my career. I’ve been a starter, won a playoff game. I’ve also been cut, I’ve also been injured, I’ve also been benched. So, I think all those experiences create value and also creates opportunities for me to build relationships with guys.”
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