Newest Titan Marcus Mariota survives rookie whirlwind

A day after the Titans selected Marcus Mariota with the second pick of the NFL draft, coach Ken Whisenhunt showed his young quarterback how much he likes him.

When Mariota arrived in Nashville on Friday, Whisenhunt gave him the shirt off his back. OK, so it came out of the coach's closet.

Turns out the one Mariota brought with him from Hawaii didn't quite fit.

It worked for the day. The Titans hope Mariota will be a perfect fit in Tennessee, where Whisenhunt plans to tailor his offense to fit the athletic quarterback.

"It is going to be a lot of fun," Mariota said at a press conference at Saint Thomas Sports Park. "This is a new experience for me. It is surreal, a lot of excitement. To walk in the locker room and see your name on the locker, it's really cool for me. I am just very, very happy and very blessed to be here."

Not long after being selected by the Titans late Thursday, Mariota boarded a United Airlines flight a few hours later and headed to Nashville. After a layover in Los Angeles, he finally made it to Music City late Friday, accompanied by family members and friends.

Mariota's parents made the trip, along with his girlfriend, brother and agent. He traveled in casual pants and a T-shirt but switched into a dark gray suit in time to meet with reporters. Whisenhunt's white 171/ 2 -36 dress shirt, highlighted with a blue tie, finished off the look.

"I think it fit him OK,'' the coach said with a smile.

Mariota didn't get much sleep on the flight to Nashville. He left town later Friday to head to Eugene, Ore., where he'll attend Oregon's spring game. He'll be back in Nashville for the team's rookie minicamp May 11. The Titans gave him plenty to study and learn in the time being as they try to get him ready for his first NFL season.

"We have a nice little to-go package for him that has some football stuff in there," Whisenhunt said. "That is the beauty of the iPads, and being able to take that with him. We can send that with him and talk. When he gets back in here, he'll at least have a little bit of a headstart."

Mariota had a busy day once he hit the ground in Nashville.

He did one-on-one interviews with the TV stations in town after making his way through the locker room, where his nameplate already was affixed above his locker. He talked to his new coaches and met other members of the organization. He posed for pictures in uniform No. 8. He said he loves the color blue.

Mariota's father, outfitted in a Hawaiian shirt, watched his son answer questions at the press conference. He admitted it was a proud moment.

"We are all very excited. I think anywhere he was picked would be a good fit," Toa Mariota said. "I am going to try to make it back for some games, but it is a long way from Honolulu."

Mike Cherry, a sportscaster with ABC affiliate KITV in Honolulu, made the long trip to follow Mariota's journey Friday. The demand for Mariota news in Hawaii is huge, he said.

"Let's put it this way: Marcus Mariota is the biggest ticket in town right now. He is a sport entertainment icon right now in Hawaii. He is one of those things where he has transcended households," Cherry said. "Even if someone is not a sports fan, moms, grandmothers, aunties and uncles, they all know him and like him, sports fan or not."

When the Titans picked Mariota, Cherry said, a new favorite team emerged on the island.

"It's varied between the 49ers and Raiders and Seahawks, West Coast teams. Those are the most popular teams," Cherry said. "I'd say before this Tennessee was probably about 31. Right now I'd say they're probably breaking into the top three easily. We expect to see a lot of Titans jerseys. Hopefully the pro shops up here will pay for shipping and handling, because that will be one heck of a shipment."

After throwing for 10,796 yards and 105 touchdowns in three seasons with the Ducks, Mariota established himself at Oregon, where he won the Heisman Trophy last season.

He hopes to do big things for the Titans, a team that finished 2-14 last season.

"At Oregon, we talk about winning the day. That culture for me is instilled," he said. "I bring that with me and won't change who I am. I want to get to know my teammates and earn their respect."

Yes, the Titans are high on Mariota.

At this point, it seems they'll do anything to please him, with the expectation he'll provide big things in return in the future.

Well, almost anything. The War Room is off limits.

"I didn't let him in the draft room,'' general manager Ruston Webster said of Mariota. "Locker room, yes. Draft room, no."

Reach Jim Wyatt at 615-259-8015 and on Twitter @jwyattsports.

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