Marcus Mariota’s gift of one pair for each player valued at around $16,500
By Emma Coke, Ashland.news
How’s your Monday going? Southern Oregon University football team players’ week got off to a good start. When they came in early Monday morning, each player found in their cubby a new pair of black Nike cleats, donated by Heisman Trophy-winner and quarterback for the Washington Commanders Marcus Mariota.
The donation sprung from a visit Mariota made with his younger brother, Matt, who was at the time considering transferring from the University of Oregon to SOU, according to a news release. Matt Mariota, a tight end, wound up playing at the UO for four years, ending with the 2019 season.
SOU alumnus Ed Nishioka, who helped orchestrate the donation, said in the news release that Mariota valued the representation of players from Hawaii. Both Mariotas and Nishioka are from Hawaii.
In total, 140 pairs of cleats were donated to the team by Mariota, valued at around $16,500.
Outside the locker room, Berk Brown, head coach of SOU football, gathered his team to tell them about what the donation meant.
“I think it’s a really big deal that every single one of you are going to walk into that locker room, and you got a pair of cleats,” Brown said.
Brown said that Mariota and Nishioka know what SOU football is about and told his team what the value of receiving new cleats meant.
“(Mariota and Nishioka) want to support people like that,” Brown said.
The players got 20 minutes to try on their new cleats. Released into the locker room, excited chaos ensued as the players opened the shoe boxes and laced up their cleats.
“I’m very, very grateful,” said Jaxon Jedrykowski, defensive back, “super grateful that I got a free pair of cleats.”
Every player got a pair of cleats, even those who wear uncommon shoe sizes. Braden Reed, an offensive lineman who wears a size 18, was very grateful to find himself with a pair of cleats.
“My cleat size is very limited,” Reed said. “These are sick, I usually get whatever I can find.”
Mariota was not present at the donation.
“For a lot of people across the country at higher levels, it’s not a big deal,” Brown said. “It’s a big deal here, fellas.”
SOU Raiders team members kick off the football season at home at 1 p.m. Sept. 7 against the Lincoln University Oaklanders of Oakland, California.
Email Ashland.news reporter intern Emma Coke at emmasuecoke@gmail.com.
