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Dec 13, 2014; New  York, NY, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota answers questions during the pre-announcement Heisman finalists press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota answers questions during the pre-announcement Heisman finalists press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY SportsUSA TODAY Sports

Heisman Trophy Winner 2014: Twitter Reacts to Marcus Mariota's Presentation

Adam WellsDec 13, 2014

To no one's surprise, University of Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota has been awarded the 2014 Heisman Trophy at the ceremony on Saturday. 

Immediately after Mariota was announced as the winner, SportsCenter tweeted out this very- appropriate picture:

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According to ESPN's Joe Schad, Mariota was named on a higher percentage of ballots than any player in history:

Schad also tweeted out the disparity between first-place votes, which Mariota received the overwhelming majority of from the 929 voters:

Per Greg Logan of Newsday, Mariota more than doubled runner-up Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon's point total:

The final vote total is a reflection of the admiration everyone seemed to have for Mariota's season, during which he finished with 3,783 passing yards and 52 total touchdowns. Per Sports Illustrated's College Football Twitter account, only Troy Smith received a higher percentage of possible points when he won in 2006:

Despite all the accolades for Mariota this season, he's remained as humble as any star college player in recent memory. Here were his comments on Thursday after winning the Maxwell Award, Davey O'Brien Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year, via ESPN.com:

"

It's surreal. It's surreal. It really all is. Growing up as a kid you always kind of see these award shows. To say that I'm a part of really this fraternity ... it's really just a blessing.

Being from Hawaii, being kinda quiet and reserved to now being a little more vocal and being a part of a special team, it's come a long way for me. It's all been such a blessing.

[My teammates] asked me to kinda step up and be vocal and understand that my words can be powerful. ... It's been an ongoing process for me and I've definitely come a long way with it.

"

One thing that hasn't been talked about much is that Mariota immediately stepped into the starting quarterback spot three years ago without missing a beat, though Kirk Herbstreit mentioned it on the ESPN telecast (via College Gameday):

In 2012, Mariota threw for 2,677 yards and 32 touchdowns with another 752 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. He's only gotten better since his freshman year, culminating in his crowning achievement on Saturday. 

While looking back at history, ESPN Stats & Info noted Mariota finished second in total QBR the past two years with some notable names ahead of him:

It's funny to think how history might have been different, as Schad noted Mariota wasn't sold that football was for him in high school:

Using ESPN's QBR metric, Mariota led the nation with a 91.9 mark. ESPN Stats & Info pointed out the last seven leaders in that category, which includes both Heisman winners and current NFL stars:

In other words, Mariota is in excellent company. He could also find himself joining Andrew Luck and Sam Bradford as No. 1 overall picks in the NFL draft by the time May rolls around, which was brought up by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport: 

For now, Mariota can bask in the glow of being Oregon's first Heisman winner. He also has the looming matchup with Florida State at the Rose Bowl in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff on New Year's Day. 

Mariota has earned his place among the greats in college football. His performance this season—guiding Oregon to the No. 2 ranking and consistency from week to week—made him the best player in the sport. Now, the junior has the hardware to prove it. 

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