Marcus Mariota made an appearance during the Philadelphia Eagles’ preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night as he was one of three quarterbacks used in the matchup.
Mariota was playing the game with a lot more on his mind than just football. The Honolulu, Hawaii, native was thinking about those who were affected by the deadly wildfires on Maui. As of Sunday, more than had 90 people died with 2,200 structures destroyed or damaged.
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He addressed the devastation at the podium.
"First and foremost – just thinking about the families and everyone that’s been affected – football is just a game, and when you look at it from a different perspective … my heart goes out to them and everybody back home," Mariota said. "Hawaii’s such a small place, such a small community that everyone has family or friends that have been affected by it. All I can say is that we’re thinking about them, we’re praying for them."
"Please, if you have an opportunity to help donate or help support – it’s bad [in Maui] – just appreciate the love and support and always think about them whenever I’m away."
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Mariota grew up in Hawaii before he played college football at Oregon and later became the Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall draft pick in 2015. His father is of Samoan descent.
In the aftermath of the devastation, Hawaii officials urged tourists to avoid traveling to Maui as many hotels are housing evacuees and first responders.
"In the weeks ahead, the collective resources and attention of the federal, state and county government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses," the Hawaii Tourism Authority said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
