PASADENA, Calif. >> The 2015 Rose Bowl — when former Saint Louis quarterback Marcus Mariota led Oregon past Florida State and into the first College Football Playoff championship game — made a major impression on a future Crusader.

Five years later, linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia, another former Crusader, will close a personal circle when his seventh-ranked Ducks face 11th-ranked Wisconsin today, on the same field where Mariota starred.

“It’s a dream come true,” the sophomore from Honolulu said. “It’s always been one of those games that every little kid wants to play in. Especially when Marcus played in it — that’s when it came to me that I wanted to be in that game.”

The 6-foot-1, 235-pound Slade-Matautia starts for a defense that led the Pac-12 Conference in six categories, finished second in 11 others and ranked among the top 10 nationally in eight. The Ducks led the Football Bowl Subdivision in red-zone touchdown percentage (33.33) while finishing second in interceptions (19).

“That kid, since he stepped on campus, I knew he was going to be a special player,” said fellow linebacker Troy Dye, who made the all-conference second team. “I mean, in his first practice, he had three interceptions. He knows how to get to the ball. He has natural flow, natural movements. He understands the game so much and he’s willing to learn, he’s willing to get coached.”

That knowledge enables Slade-Matautia to play the kind of leadership role seniors usually perform.

“You always see him making subtle motions or communication to help the guys around him,” linebackers coach Ken Wilson said. “That’s a big attribute for a middle linebacker. He knows what other guys around him are supposed to be doing.

“He doesn’t make the same mistake twice. If there’s a thing on the field that he hasn’t seen before, he’ll get coached up and he won’t miss that again. A lot of guys don’t have that mental capacity. He sees the game really well. He’s a very physical guy, but he’s a very smart player.”

Yet injuries have marked Slade-Matautia’s collegiate career. A torn labrum forced him to redshirt the 2017 season. Then seven games into 2018, a broken collarbone against Washington State ended Slade-Matautia’s season.

But that injury became a turning point.

“It motivated me a lot,” Slade-Matautia said. “Overall, I just knew that I had to overcome it, get better mentally, just taking reps, learning from the older guys. When my time came, I had to take the opportunity.”

The former Crusader gained 15 pounds and became even more attentive to detail.

“I think it made him a more driven player,” Wilson said about the injury. “When you miss time, and you see what you’re missing out there, you rehab a little harder. You want to get back on the field.

“The thing I like about Isaac is that you see improvement in him every day. He’s a very smart football player. He wants to be a good football player. So whether it’s injuries or not, he’s a guy who’s going to get better every time he goes to work.”

That improvement energized Slade-Matautia’s internal confidence and external presence.

The ‘Mike’ linebacker has to be the heart and soul of the defense, and he’s done that,” Dye said while using the nickname for the spot Slade-Matautia plays. “He’s taken that job and run with it. He carries himself a lot more as a leader, and he’s taken up that role. He’s filling shoes more than we could ever hope.”

The sophomore’s commitment reflects the approach he took at Saint Louis, where he twice made the Star-Advertiser’s All-State second team and helped the Crusaders win the Open Division state championship as a senior in 2016.

“Mostly, just lead by example,” Slade-Matautia said. “Our group was young when I was there. I don’t talk much, so I just led by whatever I did.”

In an era when ego and social media feed each other constantly, Dye views that approach as refreshing.

“You’ll never see him try to do a bunch of interviews or post a bunch of things,” he said. “He’s always about the team, never about me, me, me. I love everything he does and I love the way he carries himself. I’m real excited to see what his future brings.”

Slade-Matautia modeled his approach after Mariota’s. The quarterback’s younger brother, Matt, plays for the Ducks as a reserve tight end, and answered the linebacker’s questions about Mariota’s response to situations.

“He leads by example,” Slade-Matautia said about the elder Mariota. “I know he doesn’t talk that much, but as long as your faith is strong, you can do anything.”

Another reason Slade-Matautia avoids publicity is the necessity to raise two children while attending classes and playing.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for how he manages his business, how he goes about his life, with all the irons he has in the fire,” Wilson said. “He’s going to have a great career past football because of how he goes about his business every day on and off the field. It’s enjoyable to work with guys like that.”

But before the distant future or even next season arrives, Slade-Matautia has one final goal on the field to achieve.

“This whole season I dedicated to trying to get here, especially for the seniors,” he said about the Rose Bowl. “They had a rough time. They told me everything they’ve been through. I’m just grateful to be here. It’s an honor to be on the same field.”