Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota is no stranger to injury.
He’s never play a full season because of it, although this year has been different for him since he was benched in favor of Ryan Tannehill.
He was watching when Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa went down with a serious injury against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday.
Mariota has connections to the signal-caller, and has known him since he was young.
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The two attended the Saint Louis High in Honolulu, Hawaii, and have stayed in contact since childhood.
“It was tough to watch,” Mariota said on Monday in a report by the team’s Jim Wyatt. “I am sitting there watching, and I was like, ‘C’mon, man, get up. Please get up.’ When I saw him get carted off, you just start praying and hoping he is OK. I felt for him.”
Tagovailoa underwent surgery on his dislocated right hip on Monday in Houston, Texas.
It will be interesting to see how the injury affects the star quarterback’s draft stock heading into next year. Before it, Tagovailoa was largely considered the top quarterback prospect available and one of the first five players overall projected to be taken in the first round.
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“I am praying for him and his family,” Mariota said. “and anything we can do to help and show him support we are more than willing to do. I hope this is just a stepping stone for him, and something he can grow from. He is a tough kid, and I really think he’ll bounce back from this.”