Pro Bowl a fitting end to Mariani's storybook year

Marc Mariani got a phone call on Tuesday afternoon from Tennessee Titans head coach Jeff Fisher. In the call, Fisher reminded Mariani that Sunday was the Titans final game of the 2010 NFL season.

He then went on to tell Mariani that Sunday's game in Indianapolis wasn't going to be his last this season. Instead, the longtime veteran head coach of the Titans was calling to tell his rookie, seventh-round pick from the University of Montana that his last game will come Jan. 30 in Hawaii when Mariani suits up for the AFC in the annual NFL Pro Bowl.

And while Mariani had hear rumblings over the last few weeks that he was a leading candidate to be the AFC's return specialist at the Pro Bowl, like always, he didn't let himself get too far ahead, instead concentrating instead on doing his job, and helping the Titans win football games.

"I wasn't thinking that far ahead," Mariani said. "To have taken the steps that I've taken to get here, it's fun to look back on it now. It's really gratifying, and it's special and I mean it's hard for me to describe in words just because the road I've taken was long and bumpy.

"For me it was one of those long shot things,'' added Mariani. "You could think about it, but it was hard to believe it was a possibility. I am a pretty quiet guy. I don't like to talk about individual stuff. … But a lot of people think you have the cards stacked against you when you're a seventh-round pick, coming out of Montana. In my mind I used that as fuel. I like proving people wrong and that is the mentality I take into work and onto the field. Being honored like this, going to the Pro Bowl, I could never really have expected that to come with it as well, though.''

But while he didn't let himself dream of playing with NFL's elite, as the season went on, it became much more of a reality.

Entering Sunday's season finale against the Colts, Mariani leads the AFC and ranks third in the NFL with a 12.9-yard punt return avg. He also ranks fourth in the AFC and 10th in the NFL with a 25.2-yard kickoff return average. This season, he's the only player in the NFL to return both a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown. He had a 98-yard kickoff return against Denver (Oct. 3) and an 87-yard punt return for a score against Washington (Nov. 21).

And those numbers were good enough to earn the respect and confidence from his peer players and coaches around the league, who make the final Pro Bowl votes, as fan votes only count for a percentage of the final tally.

"I'm honored because this is an award that's voted on by players and coaches," Mariani said. "And for them to honor me with this, it's beyond my wildest hopes and dreams."

But, as always, dreams do come true, and it's dedication and work that got Mariani this far, and his teammates have taken notice too.

"From Montana to the Pro Bowl," quarterback Kerry Collins said at Wednesday's press conference. "It's a great story, and he's a good kid. He really is. He's worked hard, and it's tough. He's done everything they've asked him. And that whole group is greatly improved, and he's a big reason why."

The group Collins speaks of is the kickoff and punt return teams, which both ranked near the bottom of the NFL last season. So it's no coincidence, after Mariani beat out teammate and good friend Damien Williams for both return jobs, that the Titans now have some of the best return units in the league, and Mariani is the first to point on, his unit's are a big reason why he's going to Hawaii in his rookie season.

"My name will be on a lot of stuff, but there are a ton of guys behind the scenes who have worked their tails off to help me,'' he said. "This is a total team award, and I wouldn't be there without them. I am sure I'll do something to reimburse them in the future.''

And he already has. Mariani and teammate Jason Babin's selections to the Pro Bowl are a bright spot in what has been an otherwise difficult last two months for the Titans. Both were long-shot players to make the annul NFL all-star game at the start of the season, but both have been as productive as any Titans this season. And in Mariani's case, he just continues to make history. Tuesday's announcement marks just the third time a University of Montana player will play in the Pro Bowl, and of course, Mariani is the first Havre High alumn to play in the game.

And now it's Havre to Hawaii. And on Tuesday, Mariani shared that news with two Havre people who mean plenty to him.

"I found out a little earlier in the day," Mariani said. "So I had to keep it kind of hushed. But I did call my parents right away. They are the reason I'm here and I wanted to share it with them. And there was a little celebration back home, I can tell you that.

"It's just crazy, it's a dream come true and I dream big and have high expectations for myself. But this is beyond what I dreamed of when I got here.

Mariani also found out he'll likely get to play on offense for the AFC in next month's game, despite not catching a single pass all season. But before he gets to finish out what has been an incredible year in Hawaii, he'll finish his first NFL regular season when the Titans visit the Colts on Sunday. The game will kick off at 2:15 p.m. M.S.T.