Heisman Trophy winner donates cleats to SOU football team

Published 9:32 pm Monday, August 19, 2024

ASHLAND — Southern Oregon University football team members got their week off to a good start when they came in early Monday morning, with each player finding a new pair of black Nike cleats in their cubby courtesy of Marcus Mariota.

The donation by Oregon’s Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, who currently plays for the Washington Commanders, sprung from a visit Mariota made with his younger brother, Matt, several years ago to Ashland.

At the time, the younger Mariota was considering transferring from Oregon to SOU, according to a news release by the Ashland university. Matt Mariota, a tight end, wound up playing at UO for four years, ending with the 2019 season.

Increasing those ties to SOU was the fact that one of Marcus Mariota’s coaches — Mark Helfrich — played quarterback for the Raiders from 1992-95.

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.

“He really appreciates the fact that the team has many Hawaii players and the school has good Hawaii representation,” Nishioka said in the release.

In total, 140 pairs of cleats were donated to the team by the Marcus Mariota Foundation, valued at around $16,500.

Outside the locker room Monday, SOU football head coach Berk Brown gathered his team to tell them about what the donation meant in terms of a tangible item as well as a recognition for the program’s proud tradition overall.

“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.

The players got 20 minutes to try on their new cleats before heading off to other responsibilities. 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 defensive back Jaxon Jedrykowski, “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. He also donated cleats to football players at Lahainaluna High School after it was devastated by the Maui wildfires of 2023.

“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.”

Southern Oregon will kick off the football season at home at 1 p.m. Sept. 7 against Lincoln University of Oakland, California.