‘AIEA — Marcus Mariota's affinity for golf originally started in jest. As he prepared to finish his degree at the University of Oregon, he needed just a couple of electives to complete his coursework. Mariota, who was new to the sport at the time, decided to take a golf class with a few buddies.
"It's funny. I started in college, and it was really almost as like a joke," Mariota, 32, said from a balcony overlooking the plush fairways of Pearl at Kalauao on Monday morning. "We all decided just to take golf. And that same core group of guys, we all still play golf on a regular basis, and we love it. I wish my game was in a better place 12 years later, but I just enjoy it. It's fun to get out."
In golf, Mariota found a game that feeds his competitive spirit without the physical rigors of his main sport: football. Mariota, who has been an NFL quarterback for 11 seasons and counting, cherishes the time he gets on the links during offseasons.
Mariota's passion for golf was an unexpected byproduct of his time at the University of Oregon. It was at Oregon, of course, where Mariota became the first person from Hawai‘i to win the Heisman Trophy in 2014. The 2011 Saint Louis alumnus became emotional during his Heisman speech when he expressed his desire to see more young Polynesian athletes thrive in the pursuit of their dreams.
A desire to give back has been the basis of Mariota's Motiv8 Foundation, which was established during his rookie year in the NFL with the Tennessee Titans in 2015. On Monday, the Motiv8 Foundation held its 10th annual golf tournament, a key fundraiser for the organization's mission in supporting local communities, underserved youth and homeless populations, among other initiatives.
In an NFL career involving stints with five different franchises, the Motiv8 Foundation has been one of the constants in Mariota's pro career. Regardless of the NFL team he's playing for, Mariota has made it his mission to give back to his roots, particularly in Hawai‘i and Oregon.
"It's an incredible gift and responsibility," Mariota said of his foundation. "I just cherish these moments. This is an awesome time, especially here at the foundation golf tournament, where we get to raise the funds and people really get to see what that dollar means and makes a difference. I'm just forever grateful to be in this position, and I look forward to this every year.
"It's surreal, and looking back over the course of the last 10 years of this golf tournament and just the foundation itself, it's wild to think about the amount of people that have been affected, and it's really the generosity of so many people here."
Motiv8 aims to serve youth all year long. Particularly in Hawai‘i, it's meant providing thousands of free tickets to University of Hawai‘i sporting events to Island keiki, even though Mariota is not an alum. Additionally, Motiv8 has partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i to increase academic opportunities and resources for children.
"All the credit goes to my wife, my mom, and (Motiv8 operations manager) Kari (Ann Liebertz), the three women that lead the foundation and do this type of work," Mariota said of the foundation's work over the years. "Big shout out to Ed Nishioka, as well, who was with us at the beginning of the foundation, and to see where it's at today, it's all of their hard work."
When the summer is over, Mariota will head back to Washington, D.C., for his third consecutive season as the backup quarterback for the Washington Commanders. Due to an injury to regular starter Jayden Daniels, Mariota played in 11 games in 2025, throwing for 1,695 yards and 10 touchdowns.
"It just solidified my love for playing," Mariota said of being with the Commanders. "I really enjoyed being out there, regardless of the result of it. It's a game that I've loved since I was a kid, and never wanted to be in those circumstances where you play, but the chance to play, to be out there was a lot of fun, and something that I very much cherish."
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Christian Shimabuku can be reached at christian@alohastatedaily.com.
