If the NFL had a Lady Byng Trophy for most gentlemanly player, Marcus Mariota would be a yearly finalist.
The Tennessee Titans quarterback apologized on Wednesday for his curt post-game press conference following Sunday's loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
"Real quick, I want to say I am sorry for the way handled the press conference," Mariota said, via the team's official website. "I know not everybody that was there is here. But I was rude and inappropriate, and I just want to say I apologize for it.
"It's funny, because I got an earful from my mom. That's how I was raised and I appreciate you guys for understanding."
First off, shout out to Mariota's mother. She raised a good man.
Second, Mariota's press conference on Sunday was about as "rude" as asking your neighbor to turn down the loud music. Sure, the Titans' quarterback said he was "pissed off," which could have triggered his disappointed mother, but nothing Mariota said was outrageous for a quarterback who didn't play particularly well in a loss.
Look for yourself:
More important for the struggling Titans than Mariota's otherworldly manners is the quarterback's left knee, which he sprained in the loss. He was a full participant in practice, and coach Mike Mularkey said his signal-caller looked normal.
"We were going to let him do as much as he wanted, and he took a normal amount of reps," Mularkey said. "It was good to see."
As for the press conference apology, the coach likes his quarterback's emotion after a loss.
"I don't think it's a bad thing (he was upset)," Mularkey said. "I like that about a lot of guys on our team. I can tell you a couple of years ago it wasn't emotional after a loss. It is now. And I think it's a good thing the way this team is reacting."
Now the Titans need to turn those emotions into wins to keep their playoff plans alive.
