As he peered at the world through an ear hole of his helmet before picking himself up off the turf Sunday, you wonder what went through Marcus Mariota’s still-spinning mind.

After the fourth or fifth sack of what became a 38-10 loss to Miami on the way to a 1-4 start to his pro career, did the Tennessee Titans’ rookie quarterback mutter to himself the revelation, “So, this is how the other half lives?”

Because losing has been as foreign to Mariota as a night on the town in Las Vegas with Johnny Manziel. Success has been his constant companion since he suited up for junior varsity football at Saint Louis School.

While this is nothing new for the Titans, who, after all, earned the right to the No. 2 overall pick with a 2-14 finish last year, it is to Mariota.

Of the 53 combined games he started as a quarterback for the Crusaders and the University of Oregon, his teams won 90 percent.

After just six losses over four seasons as a starter before the NFL, the 1-4 start of the Titans finds him in previously uncharted territory — but no less resilient or positive.

The acquaintance with losing has been rough for Mariota, who has been a sack victim 19 times, third most among 40 NFL quarterbacks this season. Only Seattle’s Russell Wilson (26) and Kansas City’s Alex Smith (23) have been dumped more often.

Yet there has been little public change in Mariota’s demeanor, other than a limp, to show for it.

“I know that it probably eats at him that they are 1-4, but it is not going to deter him from being who he is and how he plays,” said Craig Stutzmann, his JV coach. “If anything, it is going to make him try even harder.”

Even when Mariota was driven to the turf in pain Sunday by Miami defensive end Olivier Vernon, the victim of a controversial low hit that resulted in a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee that has his status up in the air for this week’s game with Atlanta, there was no yielding to the injury. And no finger-pointing.

“Marcus handled it like a pro should handle it,” Titans’ wide receiver Kendall Wright told the Nashville Post. “He’s banged up and he’s (still) out here playing his heart out. I mean, hurt or not, I don’t think it affected him. I think he just wanted to be out there and make the plays when it counted. I think that shows a lot about Marcus.”

Nor was lashing out at his tormentor or bemoaning an under-performing offensive line his style. Successes are routinely preceded by “we” and failings by “I.”

Mariota gave Vernon the benefit of what little doubt there might have been, even if his coach, Ken Whisenhunt, wasn’t nearly as generous. “I think it was done with the idea of trying to hurt our QB and that’s B.S. football,” the Post reported Whisenhunt saying.

Still, Mariota strapped on a knee brace, assured his coaches he was good to go and put himself back into the game. “The guy is tougher than (anybody) I’ve ever seen in my life,” Titans left offensive tackle Taylor Lewan told reporters. Lewan’s slip gave Vernon the opening.

Little of this comes as a surprise to those who have known or followed Mariota’s career from early on. “He’s tough mentally (and) has that tough makeup that carries him through,” said Stutzmann, now offensive coordinator at Emory & Henry College.

“Even though he is a quiet guy, he’s just ultra-competitive. You’d never hear him complain about anything, he just did what it took to win,” Stutzmann said.

Mariota characteristically shrugs it off. “You’ve just got to put your nose down to the grindstone and keep fighting, keep slugging it out and we’ll end up on the other side of some of those (games),” he told the Tenneseean.

The newly acquired view from this side hasn’t changed him.

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