Jason Wolf

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

In the winter of his junior year, before Marcus Mariota ever started a high school football game, his parents sold their house on a bluff overlooking picturesque Diamond Head, a dormant volcano on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

The proceeds helped Alana and Toa afford their son’s private school education and travel to camps to increase the young quarterback’s exposure to college recruiters on the mainland.

Six years later, after a high school state championship, a national title game appearance with Oregon, winning the Heisman Trophy and being selected by the Titans with the second overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, toward the end of his first pro season, when triumphs and tribulations undulated like the needle on a seismograph, Mariota’s mother prepared Christmas dinner in a million-dollar penthouse condo overlooking downtown Nashville.

Mariota calls his perch in the Gulch a practical location. It's close to the Titans’ training facility and Nissan Stadium, with restaurants a mere elevator ride away. But Mariota, as reserved in demeanor as his play is rousing on the field, has barely begun to embrace all the city has to offer.

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“A lot of times I’m just kind of hanging around the house,” Mariota said in a recent, exclusive interview with The Tennessean. “We don’t have a whole lot of (free) time, but I went down on Broadway for a little bit, just to hang out at some of the — like Acme (Feed & Seed) and I think it’s called Tootsies. Anyway, we kind of just got to see Broadway a little bit and heard a lot of music at the country bars. It was a lot of fun. … We’re still kind of exploring.”

By “we,” Mariota clarifies, he means he and his parents or his girlfriend, former Oregon soccer player Kiyomi Cook, who he’s been dating for two years.

Mariota returned to Hawaii a week after the season finale, staying in Nashville those extra days to continue medical treatment on a sprained knee.

Mariota knows his well-being, development and performance are critical to the Titans’ future. He calls his responsibility a gift, and understands no two franchise quarterbacks are identical, including those competing in Super Bowl 50 Sunday in Santa Clara, Calif.

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He notes Cam Newton’s passing prowess and how his ability to run between the tackles provides the Panthers’ offense an extra dimension. He appreciates Peyton Manning’s cerebral approach, how the Broncos QB consistently wins at the line of scrimmage and has overcome injury and growing physical limitations this season.

But Mariota also says he’s seen enough, at least this season, even though he headed to the San Francisco Bay area for Super Bowl festivities.

“I’ll be there, at some of the events,” Mariota said during a phone interview. “But I won’t — I don’t think I’ll take in the game. For me, I’m a competitor still, and it’ll be tough to watch two other teams play in the Super Bowl. That’s just who I am, and the competitor in me. So I don’t think I’ll watch the game.”

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“To me, I always want to play at the highest level of our sport, and not being in the game is frustrating," he said. "Not being in the playoffs is frustrating. And we’ve just got to use it as motivation for this upcoming offseason and next year.”

Goal to play in Hawaii

Mariota was thrilled when teammates Delanie Walker and Jurrell Casey made the Pro Bowl as first alternates, replacing Panthers tight end Greg Olsen and defensive tackle Kawann Short, respectively.

He was less enthused when Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, a fellow Heisman-winning rookie drafted ahead of him at No. 1 overall, was tapped to replace Tom Brady, who declined his invitation.

But he insists it didn’t bother him.

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“He deserves it. I think he had a good year,” Mariota said. “It is, to me, a goal of mine to come back to Hawaii and to play in the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, it wasn’t this year.”

While he missed four games with knee injuries and the Titans finished 3-13, tied for the worst record in the league, the Bucs remained in the NFC wild card race until the final weeks of the season.

Does Mariota use Winston as a measuring stick?

“Not at all. I only focus on what I can do,” he said. “What he does and what his team does doesn’t affect me at all. I don’t pay attention to it. Again, for me, I really just kind of look upon myself and try to find ways that I can get better. And I’m not going to compare myself to anybody, because then you lose sight of the fact of how good you can really be. My focus has always been good. I take it one day at a time, find ways to improve and find ways to get wins.”

Mariota, with a floral lei and beads draped over his green Hawaiian shirt, joined students from his alma mater, Saint Louis School, on the Aloha Stadium field at halftime of the Pro Bowl, when all varsity football players on the island were honored. He posed for a photo with Walker, then watched Winston throw two second-half touchdowns, including one to the Titans’ tight end.

Understanding the spotlight

On this day, Mariota laughs nervously before most of his answers.

He finds the spotlight awkward.

“It’s something that I don’t really look for or like," he said, "but I understand it comes with the position and I’ll always do my best to represent my family and where I come from in the best way.”

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Mariota appreciates the authentic vibe of Nashville, a star-studded city with a small-town feel, whether he and his loved ones are popping into Burger Republic or walking to Saint Añejo, one of his favorite spots for Mexican food.

“Whenever we’re out in town, people are always super nice,” Mariota said. “And to me, that’s incredible, because you can go around and be bothered, but a lot of times the people of Nashville, the community is just very respectful and really just kindhearted.”

Mariota’s parents sat beside him, but declined to be interviewed.

“To be honest with you, they’re even more private than I am,” Mariota said. “Even through college, they would not do interviews. I think it would be tough to get them to change their mind.”

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Their reticence, he explained, stems from Samoan culture.

“Just do your business and everything else will take care of itself,” he said.

Mariota remained in his penthouse on New Year’s Eve, as live music blared and a record crowd of more than 150,000 revelers spilled into the streets of downtown Nashville.

The Titans’ season finale was in three days, and although Mariota knew he wouldn’t play, he planned to head to the training complex early the next morning. Focused on football and family, the franchise quarterback sat high atop the city and kept his evening low-key.

“My girlfriend and I ended up watching the ball drop from New York,” Mariota said. “And then we were just kind of hanging out, watching TV and I fell asleep.”

Reach Jason Wolf at jwolf@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter at @JasonWolf and on Instagram at TitansBeat.

Marcus Mariota file