Mariota is a natural pitch man

Forget what the ESPN analysts say about Marcus Mariota’s inexperience taking the snap from center, on this day it was the Swiss cheese that was baffling.

"The (cheese) pieces are sticking together," Mariota sighed as he grappled with trying to separate them.

Less than a minute into his first shift as a celebrity sandwich artist for his latest national sponsor, Subway, Mariota was struggling. 

One more reason that next week’s NFL Draft can’t come soon enough for the Heisman Trophy winner from Saint Louis School.

Realizing that a $20 million-$25 million contract from some team awaits Mariota after his April 30 selection, it was a regular Subway employee, Lelean Sigrah, who adroitly wielded the knife for him at the chain’s Beachwalk restaurant Wednesday.

When it comes to sandwich artistry, "I’ve made peanut butter and jelly for myself, but that’s about it," Mariota acknowledged.

Nevertheless he persisted to make a sandwich for two youngsters from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and one for his grandmother, Alice Deppe, but declined to say if he could whip up one of crab for Jameis Winston, if asked.

That a noon-time crowd, sometimes three and four deep, pressed their faces and Mariota jerseys to the glass front window or stood on outdoor chairs to watch him fold Black Forest ham slices and slather avocado and tuna on bread underlined his attractiveness for endorsement deals.

Before he launches an NFL pass, Mariota is already big league in endorsements, call it Market Mariota.

He has a Nike deal, is said to be on the way to several more, and is setting up a charitable foundation. 

Mariota has two sets of agents, one California-based firm, Rep1 Sports, to handle football-related matters such as his player contract, and another in New York, Excel Sports Management, to direct endorsements.

 Mariota’s New York agent, Alan Zucker, has a client roster that includes the Mannings (Peyton, Eli and Archie), Danica Patrick and Taylor Swift.

So there is probably little chance Mariota will take up owner Angus McKibbin on his offer to come pull a night shift or two until the draft starts.

"We’ve had a laser focus on Marcus," said Paul J. Bamundo, Global Director of Sports Marketing and Strategic Partnerships for Subway, citing Mariota’s football potential, wholesomeness and the fact he regularly ate their product as a student at the University of Oregon.

So intent was Subway on adding Mariota to its "famous fan" roster that includes Robert Griffin III, Russell Westbrook and Mike Trout, Bamundo said, "I told Alan, ‘I want to figure this out with you and Marcus and we want to be first out of the gate (as a non-industry sponsor).’"

Bamundo said, "Once we found out Marcus wasn’t going to Chicago (for the draft) or New York and was going to stay home to be with family, we told them, ‘don’t worry about it, we’ll come to you there in Hawaii.’"

So, Wednesday morning the company was at the Mariota family’s doorstep, breakfast sandwiches in hand, before the commercial shoot and press conference.

In honor of the occasion, Subway commissioned and flew in two Philadelphia-based food artists, Jim Victor and Marie Pelton, to craft a 3-foot high sculpture of Mariota in the company’s food items, complete with flatbread head.

"I never imagined I’d see myself in avocado (skins) for hair and bell peppers for ears," Mariota marveled.

Yes, it is definitely a new world that Mariota has entered.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.