Emotional Marcus Mariota says he'll make a decision on his future 'in a couple days'

ARLINGTON, Texas – When Marcus Mariota returned to the locker room following the 42-20 loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship, he said he cried.

Oregon’s Heisman-winning quarterback had the Ducks on the cusp of their first national championship and he couldn’t help them achieve it.

So when it was just him, his teammates and his coaches, the emotion was too much to contain.

“When nobody was in here, the waterworks were on,” Mariota said.

“You put so much work into it and you come up short, it’s tough. You understand that these guys have put in blood, sweat, tears and you just feel for each teammate.”

[Yahoo Team Fan Shop: Buy Ohio State national championship merchandise]

Mariota, a junior, had already made a lasting impression on the Oregon program. He was the most decorated player in the school’s history and won its first Heisman Trophy. A national championship would have been icing on the cake, especially since this was likely his final game in an Oregon uniform. The deadline to declare for the NFL draft is Thursday.

Mariota said he wasn’t yet ready to address his future, but that if he did come back, he could see the Ducks playing in this game again next season.

“I’ll take the next couple days, talk to my family, we’ll make a decision,” Mariota said of his future. “This program is playing at a high level now. If I chose to be a part of it again, I’d like to be here again. That being said, these guys are unbelievable and I’m just glad and, again, this is just a special team and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

For more Oregon news, visit DuckSportsAuthority.com.

- - - - - - -

Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

And don’t forget to keep up with all of Graham’s thoughts, witty comments and college football discussions on Facebook