Quote Originally Posted by tcdog70 View Post
Marler was named the All-SEC quarterback after throwing for 2,422 yards, 11 touchdowns and 17 interceptions, while completing 56.8 percent of his passes. He finished the season leading the SEC in 10 offensive categories and was among the top 10 in four NCAA categories. Mississippi State set 47 school records and 15 SEC records on offense in 1978. Marler jumped Ole Miss legend Archie Manning into fourth place on the all-time single-season SEC total offense list. He also broke Steve Spurrier’s consecutive completions record with 17 straight that season.

Yet, none of those statistics was either Arians’ or Marler’s defining moment in 1978.

That came in Week 9 against third-ranked Alabama. During pregame warmups in Birmingham, Marler tore a muscle in his right thigh. He told Arians, who advised Marler to stay on the field and act like nothing was wrong. Marler had his leg wrapped but aggravated the injury when he was sacked on Mississippi State’s first drive. He left the game, went to the locker room, got a shot of pain killers and was back on the field by the end of the first quarter.

Arians put Marler in the shotgun about eight yards deep and devised a game plan based around three running plays and 25 passes.

“He was just calling everything,” Marler said. “Believe it; we were just making up plays as we go.”

Marler threw for 429 yards and Mississippi State lost.

“We certainly gave Bear Bryant a run for his money,” Marler said.

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That game helped push Marler further into the national spotlight and gave football a glimpse of a young coach with an ingenious offensive mind.

“What he did with me is turn me into somebody that probably I never would’ve accomplished on my own,” Marler said. “From a play-calling level, an execution level, he totally took me to levels of success that I, as a quarterback, had never visualized. All this happened through the course of the season.”

It led to a five-year career in the CFL for Marler, who retired from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1983. His stint in Canada, where he currently runs a wealth-management business, led to a wife and three children. He’s also the chairman of the board of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum.
Marler was originally supposed to be a kicker. Great performance. I was fortunate enough to be at that game.