‘This is just the beginning’: Mariota, Tua pave way for Polynesian quarterbacks

KHON-TV sports director Rob DeMello watched the Raiders and Chargers face off last Thursday night as he worked on a breaking news segment for that evening’s broadcast in Honolulu, Hawaii. “Being that me and Marcus are both of Samoan heritage, I think that’s something super cool to see for the kids back home in Hawaii — to see two guys compete against one another if Marcus is named the starter,” Tagovailoa said. “I don’t think there’s a superlative that would give its proper appreciation as to what this game and what that moment will be for Hawaii football and the State of Hawaii,” DeMello said. Mariota and Tagovailoa weren’t the first Saint Louis quarterbacks to make names for themselves: Darnell Arceneaux played at Utah for four seasons; Jason Gesser led Washington State to the 2003 Rose Bowl; Timmy Chang passed for 17,072 yards, which ranks second in NCAA history, during his career at Hawaii. “It’s really shown the kids in the community that if you do all those things and you sacrifice and you put a plan together, then you can be successful, whether it’s playing in the NFL or becoming a doctor or lawyer or journalist or whatever it may be.” Mariota and Tagovailoa have directly led to the ramping up of quarterbacks from their home state.