Hawaiian heroes: Dillon Gabriel followed Marcus Mariota in leading Oregon to Rose Bowl

In the Hawaiian language, there is the phrase, “momoe aku i mua.” It means to move ahead with determination.

It could perfectly describe Dillon Gabriel, a quarterback that always dreamed big.

The son of a former Hawai’i football quarterback, the left-handed kid from Mililani on the island of Oahu wanted to play football at the highest level when he got older. He shined playing youth football, broke several Hawaii state high school football records and was the state’s player of the year.

Yet he wasn’t a prized recruit. Just under 6-foot out of high school, Gabriel was ranked the No. 42 quarterback in the 2019 class by 247 Sports. He had to prove himself, but it wasn’t hard for him to move ahead with determination.

Because he had someone that showed him how he could do it: Marcus Mariota.

Similarities between Dillon Gabriel and Marcus Mariota

It’s easy to notice the similarities between Gabriel and Mariota: both are quarterbacks from Hawaii wearing No. 8. However, there’s a much deeper connection between the two. In 2014, Mariota became the first Hawaiian-born athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. At that time, Gabriel was just a teenager, hoping to achieve the same level of success.

He’s looked up to Mariota since, and after proving to be one of the best passers in the country at Central Florida and Oklahoma, Gabriel is having another sensational season as the quarterback at Oregon, taking the Ducks to the College Football Playoff for the first time since his idol did during that Heisman season.

And the stars couldn’t be more aligned. Mariota’s first playoff contest? The Rose Bowl. For Gabriel? The Rose Bowl against Ohio State on New Year's Day.

“Now that I'm here, it's crazy, and I'm still shocked,” Gabriel said. “There's flashes of memories watching (Mariota) do what he did, and now being able to go do it for myself.”

Gabriel and plenty of keiki, or children, on the islands were in awe watching Mariota achieved stardom at Oregon, all while he proudly showcased his roots. Mariota wore No. 8 as homage to the eight major islands of Hawaii, and he was one of the first football players to don the “808” facemask, a nod to the state’s area code.

It was the talent mixed with honoring culture that made Gabriel’s mother, Dori, realize Mariota was paving the way for her son.

“It was exciting for him to see someone that looked like him,” said Dori Gabriel.

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Dillon Gabriel's mom was catalyst for Marcus Mariota relationship

Coincidentally, it was Dori Gabriel that actually started the connection between her son and his idol.

There’s a joke in the Hawaiian community that you either know someone or you know somebody that does. Prime example: when Gabriel was going through his recruiting process, a friend of Dori Gabriel linked her up with Alana Deppe-Mariota, Marcus’ mom.

Since then, the two mothers have texted each other as Gabriel has gone on his college journey. Whether it was injuries, the highs, the lows, Dori Gabriel found comfort in communicating with Deppe-Mariota. It was a challenge, and Deppe-Mariota helped her navigate the journey and eventually aided her with Gabriel’s transition to Oregon.

Eventually Gabriel and Mariota connected, and when Gabriel arrived at Oregon, the No. 8 jersey made famous in Eugene was available. Gabriel texted the Washington Commanders quarterback if he could have his blessing to wear it, and without hesitation, Mariota agreed.

It takes a special talent for players to receive the blessing to wear the jersey number of a team’s prior legend, but to be able to wear the number of his idol meant something extra to Gabriel. It gave him an extra dose of momoe aku i mua.

“I feel like that's the beauty of this story of him,” Dori Gabriel said. “But when (Mariota) said ‘Yes, I would be proud and honored for you to share the number.’ I think it unlocked his childhood hero saying, ‘You know what, go get it, go do it.’”

So far, Gabriel has got it. He’s thrown for 3,558 yards with 28 passing touchdowns and run for seven more scores. He finished third in the Heisman voting while leading the only undefeated team in the Bowl Subdivision.

“He's the best quarterback in the entire nation,” said receiver Tez Johnson. “I don't know if anybody else agrees, but this team knows, he's the best quarterback that's in this playoff, period. That's a Heisman quarterback right there.”

A role model through a historic season

Gabriel continues to have his role model helping him. Throughout the season, Mariota has been reaching out to Gabriel, congratulating him on all of his success and offering any wisdom. Dori Gabriel believes Mariota continues to remain in contact because “he wants so much for Dillon” to experience all of the things he did in college.

Oregon has experience new history this season. The Ducks won the Big Ten title in their first season in the league. They reached No. 1 for the first time in 12 seasons on Oct. 20 and have held that position since.

With his sixth and final season of college football winding down, Gabriel still has plenty to achieve. Yes he’s following the footsteps of his mentor, but he could do something Mariota didn’t and deliver Oregon its first national championship with three more wins.

Gabriel said he’s been preparing his whole life for this moment. He’s been dreaming of it, and that’s all thanks to someone that set the standard for Hawaii athletes.

“Just having that relationship is very special,” Gabriel said of Mariota. “A lot of people, they don't have to do any of this, but he's understanding of the role that he plays and the leader he was, the trailblazer he was and is for growing athletes. I appreciate that and don't take it lightly because he doesn't have to do it but he does it out of the kindness of his heart because he knows I'm just a guy chasing my dream as well.”

During his Heisman acceptance speech, Mariota said he hoped this would just be the beginning for the Polynesian community and the young Poly athletes “should take this as motivation, and dream big and strive for greatness.”

Gabriel did exactly that, and 10 years later, he has arrived on the big stage, determined to shine at “The Granddaddy of Them All” just like his hero did.

“He never limited himself, and that came from seeing someone like Marcus achieve high heights,” Dori Gabriel said. “He knew it was possible. Marcus made it possible for him to dream big.”

Dillon Gabriel giving back to Hawaii

And while he tries to be the best player on the field, Gabriel gives back children back in his home state, just like Mariota did for him.

“Marcus was an inspiration to him, now he serves as an inspiration to others,” Dori Gabriel said.

Gabriel has helped Mililani High School’s athletic program with new training equipment, gear and helped raise money. He’s been such a big help to the program and the community, May 3 in the town of Mililani is now known as “Dillon Gabriel Day.”

“I've had great role models myself on how to do it, and I just want to continue that,” Gabriel said. “I know there's kids behind me that want to do the same and have big dreams and goals and aspirations for their careers and what they want to do.”

Milliani has rallied around their homegrown star. While Gabriel’s family will make the trip across the Pacific Ocean to be in Pasadena for the matchup against Ohio State, the town has let it be known how excited they are for Gabriel. Banners and signs of Gabriel can be found throughout.

It puts a smile on his mom’s face when she sees it, and Gabriel couldn’t hide his smile when thinking about the support from more than 2,500 miles away. Any athlete can say they are proud of their background, but it’s just different for those island kids.

“I love being from Hawaii,” Gabriel said. “I love being born and raised, and the experience you have as a young kid is special. I think when you grow up, you start to realize that upbringing is part of what makes you different in a great way, and I just want to represent everyone to the best of my ability.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oregon's Dillon Gabriel followed Marcus Mariota's path to Rose Bowl