It’s been said that Marcus Mariota is too nice. He seems to be an anomaly in the sport of football: a polite and respectful guy who does everything right and is incredibly nice. Oh, and we can’t forget that he is a freak of nature when it comes to his talent for football. But even with his mind-blowing stats and skills, people still can’t seem to get around the fact that the guy is so nice. His politeness is inspiring to me, not because I want to be more like him, but because I already am like him.

I, too, have been labeled as “polite,” “nice” and “sweet.” That’s who I am, that is my personality, and that is my nature deep at my core. Marcus Mariota inspires me to maintain my politeness and still seek success. He is a hero for all of us who have ever been told we are nice, polite, gentle, good-natured or kind. Unfortunately, what comes with those descriptors also comes the idea that such people can’t reach the pinnacle of success — we are too busy getting stepped all over to get up and achieve. We are too quick to say, “Here, you go ahead,” to ever get ahead ourselves. The mindset that “nice guys finish last” may have stunted us before, but now we have a new standard to aspire to.

Marcus Mariota has achieved success in his world as a student-athlete, creating records in his conference and in college football, and winning many prestigious awards, including the Heisman Trophy. All of this was done while he never once strayed from who he is as a person. Those of us polite people who were told we had to change to achieve success should look no further than the standout former Oregon quarterback as a model for what is possible.

He is the hero for every self-described polite person out there, and though I may not share his proficiency for football, I share his personality traits, and that is something that I can be inspired by. As Marcus Mariota went through the 2014 football season, I watched with great anticipation and awe. Yes, the football was outstanding, but I was interested in other things, too. I silently followed news stories and articles about him, curious if his “niceness” might hinder his success. I cut out a photo from the newspaper with a quote from him, reading, “There’s no reason to be angry or impolite.” I seconded that mantra and glued the newspaper clipping to my notebook, feeling a sense of camaraderie for my fellow polite human being. As I watched the Heisman Trophy award ceremony (and cried, but who didn’t?), I thought to myself that this hero of the football field is becoming a hero for all the nice people out there. It brings me hope to think that if Marcus Mariota can win the Heisman while maintaining his nice and polite persona, what can I achieve with my similar persona? As Marcus finished his time at Oregon, I prepare to graduate from college. As he moves on into the wide and perhaps foreboding world of the National Football League, I go off into an equally uncertain job market and potential future in grad school. All the while, I am thinking about an inspiring quarterback who has given this polite girl a little hope for great success that may come my way, too.

— Valerie McCready lives in Bend.