ORGANIZATION UNTIL APRIL, TO
HELP WITH THE TRANSITION TO A
NEW CEO.
TITANS QUARTERBACK MARCUS
MARIOTA IS THREE WEEKS FROM THE
BEGINNING OF OFF-SEASON
WORKOUTS.
BRIGETTE: HE SAYS HE'S CLOSE TO
FULL STRENGTH AFTER A
SEASON-ENDING NERVE INJURY IN
HIS THROWING ELBOW.
ONLY ON 2, HE SAT DOWN FOR
INTERVIEW WITH SPORTS DIRECTOR
ROB DEMELLO.
ROB: THAT'S RIGHT.
THE FOUR YEAR VETERAN ENTERING
THE FIFTH, FINAL YEAR OF HIS
ROOKIE CONTRACT IN 2019.
THE STORYLINE IS THAT
THE
FOREFRONT OF TITAN TALK.
FOR THE ST. LOUIS GRADUATE, THAT
IS FAR FROM A CONCERNED.
THE 25-YEAR-OLD SAYS
HE
REMAINS FOCUSED ON WHAT HE SEES
THROUGH THE FACEMASK.
MY MENTALITY AS A COMPETITOR
NEVER CHANGES.
I WILL DO MY BEST TO
BE AT MY
BEST WHEN THE SEASON COMES, AND
DO MY BEST TO WIN GAMES.
THE OTHER STUFF WILL TAKE CARE
OF ITSELF.
OBVIOUSLY I LOVE NASHVILLE, LOVE
TENNESSEE.
GREAT ORGANIZATION TO PLAY FOR.
THAT SAID, IT'S A BUSINESS, AND
YOU CAN'T TAKE ANY OF IT
PERSONAL, YOU JUST HAVE TO GO
OUT AND DO YOUR THING.
NO MATTER WHAT, MY NUMBER ONE
GOAL IS TO GET HEALTHY.
BECOME A BETTER FOOTBALL PLAYER,
DO MY BEST TO BE READY TO WIN
GAMES.
THOSE WORDS, IT'S A BUSINESS.
DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE HAD TO
LEARN THAT OVER THE FIRST FOUR
YEARS, THAT THAT TOOK A LITTLE
TIME TO EMBRACE?
NO DOUBT.
WHEN YOU TAKE THAT NEXT STEP,
YOU HAVE TO LEARN IT IS A
BUSINESS, AND THERE'S CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES, CERTAIN
SITUATIONS, CERTAIN DECISIONS
THAT HAVE TO BE MADE BASED UPON
THE BUSINESS.
YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT PERSONALLY.
YOU JUST HAVE TO BE YOUR BEST,
AND NO MATTER WHAT, JUST DO WHAT
YOU CAN DO, AFFECT THE THINGS
YOU CAN CONTROL, AND FROM THERE,
LET THE DOMINOES FALL AS THEY
MAY.
ROB: YOU HAVE HAD THIS
CONVERSATION FOR FOUR YEARS NOW.
EVERY YEAR, THE GOAL HEADING
INTO THE YEAR IS TO WIN A SUPER
BOWL, NOTHING LESS.
THAT BEING SAID, BEING THAT IT
HASN'T HAPPENED YET, ARE YOU
ABLE TO BE PROUD OF YOURSELF,
ABLE TO BE CONTENT WITH WHAT YOU
HAVE ACCOMPLISHED?
I WOULDN'T SAY CONTENT.
BUT I THINK LOOKING BACK, YOU
KNOW, YOU TAKE A TEAM, AND IT
WASN'T JUST ME, I WAS PART OF A
GROUP OF GUYS THAT TOOK A TEAM,
A CORE GROUP OF GUYS, TAKING A
TEAM THAT WAS REALLY AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE LEAGUE.
NOW WE HAVE HAD THREE WINNING
SEASONS IN A ROW.
WE HAVE HAD A PLAYOFF WIN.
I THINK WE ARE GOING IN THE
RIGHT DIRECTION.
NO MATTER WHAT, AS WE CONTINUE
TO GROW, IT IS A FUN GROUP OF
GUYS TO BE A PART OF, AND I LOOK
FORWARD TO BEING WITH THESE
GUYS.
ROB: THE DREAM YOU
HAD YOUR
ENTIRE LIFE OF BEING AN NFL
QUARTERBACK?
NO DOUBT.
IT IS AN HONOR AND PRIVILEGE.
I AM JUST THANKFUL.
I HOPE AS WE CONTINUE
FORWARD,
THAT PEOPLE HERE ESPECIALLY AT
HOME, WILL SEE THAT THEY CAN GO
DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, THEY CAN
GO REACH THEIR DREAMS.
GROWING UP,
HAVING THE
OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS WAS TRULY
SPECIAL.
I HAVE SHOWN MUCH MORE KIDS FROM
HERE CAN DO THE SAME.
ROB: SPEAKING OF DREAMS,
RECENTLY THE RAMS AND COWBOYS
ANNOUNCED THEY WILL PLAY AT A
LOW HAS STADIUM, AND IT SOLD OUT
-- ALOHA STADIUM AND IT SOLD OUT
IN 24 HOURS.
IS THAT ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR
DREAMS BEFORE ALL IS DONE, TO
SOMEHOW PLAY IN HAWAII?
ABSOLUTELY.
OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T GET TO MAKE
THOSE DECISIONS, BUT AT SOME
POINT IN TIME, I DON'T EVEN KNOW
HOW TO DESCRIBE IT, THAT WOULD
BE SUCH A BLESSING.
HOPEFULLY THE OPPORTUNITY
ARISES.
WE WILL SEE.
BUT MAN, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING
SPECIAL.
ROB: FOR MORE WITH MY
CONVERSATION WITH MARCUS MARIOTA
AHEAD OF HIS ANNUAL CHARITY GOLF