NFL draft: Q&A with Oregon QB Marcus Mariota

Marcus Mariota is a week away from finding out his NFL fate. He almost certainly knows he won’t go first overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — that’s believed to be Jameis Winston’s spot — and could find himself be taken anywhere in the next several picks, perhaps even No. 2 overall, and to a team trading up to snag him.

But even with all the unknowns in his life, Mariota is living well. He’s back in Hawaii waiting for April 30 to hear his name called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and get started on his NFL career.

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Mariota took a few minutes to chat by phone with Shutdown Corner a week out from the biggest day of his professional life to talk about cold cuts, his draft party, the biggest misconceptions about him and plenty more.

SDC: Are you worn out from all the interviews?

Mariota: [laughs] No, not at all!

SDC: You actually sound quite energetic.

Mariota: I appreciate that.

SDC: You decided to spend draft weekend in Hawaii with your family. Why was that so important to you?

Mariota: For me, culturally, it was an opportunity to pay my respects to where I came from. Being able to spend the moment, this big moment, with all the people who have made sacrifices, who have put forth so much hard work for me, that was important to me. It should be really cool.

SDC: My wife and I want to move to Hawaii one day.

Mariota: There you go.

SDC: We just can’t afford it.

Mariota: [laughs]

SDC: Where will you be having your draft party?

Mariota: It will actually be at the alumni clubhouse from my high school. I invited all my classmates from high school, along with family and friends. We’re kind of expecting 200 or 250 people, which should be great.

SDC: What’s on the menu?

Mariota: There obviously will be a lot of different Hawaiian flavors, but Subway has been gracious enough to cater it as well. So we’re well stocked — cold cuts and lots to choose from.

SDC: Yeah, I have to say, I’ve seen the Subway photos — the Marcus Mariota bust made of sandwich stuff and condiments for lips and hair, and guacamole and all that … I must admit, it’s a tiny bit frightening.

Mariota: [laughs] Well, it was actually really cool. Subway came in early this morning, about 6 a.m. here in Hawaii, and I was able to see it for the first time. It was a cool surprise and a nice thing to wake up to — a food statue made of guacamole and different key ingredients. I was thankful that Subway came all the way out here.

SDC: Are you planning on eating it?

Mariota: Maybe. Possibly when this portion of the event is done. [laughs] We’ll see.

SDC: Is that the most interesting gift you’ve ever received — a food bust? Any weird stalker gifts like Candy Grams from Oregon fans or anything?

Mariota: For sure this was the most interesting one. People are generally nice and respectful. It’s always nice to see and feel appreciation from fans, and some do give little gifts and things. It’s nice for sure.

SDC: Is it important to you to go to an NFL city where your privacy is respected? Where people give you your space?

Mariota: It will be just nice to have a team, nice to just get back to football. I am excited to do things like this sponsored event, but I am looking forward to playing football again.

SDC: Did the NFL try to convince you to come to Chicago or put any pressure on you to attend?

Mariota: They just called and we talked about what I was thinking and why I wanted to do it at home. At the same time, they really understood and said, “Thank you for considering.” It was cool.

SDC: You’ve been connected to a lot of different teams before the draft. Basically, no one knows where you’re going, unless you do and want to share that info with us.

Mariota: [laughs] I have no idea. Just like you.

SDC: How do you handle that with a week to go? Is there excitement? Is it nerve-wracking?

Mariota: Honestly, I don’t pay attention to most of it. There’s a lot that could go on. For me, I just enjoy the time off in Hawaii and get excited for next week. There’s always a reason things happen, and we’ll see what ends up and how it goes.

SDC: What has been the one thing NFL teams have focused on or asked you about the most when you’ve met with them?

Mariota: I would say definitely how I can grasp their systems. They really kind of talked to me about playing and learning their info, giving me that information, asking me to regurgitate it and see how fast I picked it up. That was the most frequently asked question.

SDC: Do you think it would be a little bit of a disservice for an NFL team to jam its pro-style offense — if that’s what they run — down your throat and not at least adapt some elements of the spread scheme you ran at Oregon?

Mariota: It will depend. I am sure whatever team I go to, they’ll have their system and what they want me to run, but if they decide to implement some spread offense stuff, then I’ll be happy to run it. It just all depends on what that team wants. I’m willing and ready to adapt if needed.

SDC: I look at Robert Griffin III and Colin Kaepernick, quarterbacks like that who can run and pass, and I see a lot of them have success running and throwing early in their careers and then later seem bent on proving themselves as pocket passers. Could you see yourself being that way one day after you’ve been in the league for a few years?

Mariota: Honestly, I don’t even think of it that way. That doesn’t matter to me. It’s always a team situation and putting the team in the best spot to win. Whether that’s me being an athlete, me being a pocket passer, or me handing off. It doesn’t really matter to me how it gets done or what people’s opinions are of me. I just want to put forth the best that I can put out for us to win.

SDC: Two-part question: What’s the biggest misperception of you first as a player and also as a person? What do people have wrong about you?

Mariota: I’m not sure. Those are other people’s opinions. I know who I am as a person. I know who I am as a football player. My biggest concerns are being able to prepare myself, my body, my mind — getting my team ready for winning.

SDC: I know you’ve heard the critics, though: “You’re too nice a person.” That’s the story, anyway. That somehow you’re too nice to be a leader or something.

Mariota: I can’t control what people think. I don’t try. People can think what they want about that, and it won’t change me really.

SDC: How do you stay so focused and how are you so mature? When I was your age, I cared about what everyone thought of me.

Mariota: For me, I think I learned it a long time ago thanks to my parents. They really taught that. My dad always said, ‘Never compare yourself to other people.’ You want to be the best person that you can be. That really stuck with me. For me that’s really given me the foundation of not really caring what other people’s opinions are but just really taking care of myself as best I can.

SDC: If for some reason you were to slide unexpectedly on draft day, would that bother you? Would it be something you’d be motivated by?

Mariota: No, no, no. For me, I am just excited for the opportunity. I’ll do my best to get myself prepared for whatever team that might be, and that’s all that matters.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm