NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Chugging tallboy cans of working-class beer, holding a catfish overhead and removing their shirts, the five starting offensive linemen of the Tennessee Titans fired up the crowd at Bridgestone Arena before Game 3 of the NHL's Western Conference Final between the Nashville Predators and Anaheim Ducks.
The quarterback waved a rally towel.
You might have assumed Marcus Mariota really wasn't one of the guys—that he was just there because the Predators wanted the sizzle from his big name. You might have remembered NFL scouts had concerns about his leadership ability when they were studying him prior to the 2015 draft.