The NFL rising star who loves surfing more than anything else

July 2, 2015  |  Surfing
Marcus Mariota: smile, you're a passionate surfer-footballer | Photo: Tennessee Titans

What's better than American football? Surfing. What's better than a 20 million-dollar contract? Surfing.

Marcus Mariota, a Hawaiian-born quarterback, has refused to sign a multimillionaire deal with the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL) because he wants to surf.

The Titans have offered Mariota a rookie contract with a clause that forbids him from surfing due to potential injuries.

And he didn't like it. Marcus Mariota is the lone unsigned first-round NFL draft pick.

The 21-year-old football player is the most decorated player in school history and led Oregon to more wins (36) than any of his contemporaries in three seasons.

Mariota was born in Honolulu, and he is of Samoan descent. In December 2014, Marcus won the Heisman Trophy and became the first Hawaiian ever to claim the award.

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