COLUMBIA, Tenn. —Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota did his best to get the crowd worked up before Tuesday night's Predators-Sharks game at Bridgestone Arena.
He ended up getting pretty worked up himself.
"My dad used to work on the East Coast, and he would tell me, 'You have to check out a hockey game'," Mariota said on Wednesday from the Titans Caravan. "Being able to do it last night was a lot of fun.
"I think coming into Nashville, you have to be a Predators fan. I was excited to see the first game live, and I am blessed it was the Predators."
Mariota, outfitted in a No. 8 Predators jersey with his name on the back, took the ice before the opening face-off and waved a yellow towel.
The crowd roared.
The Predators ended up beating the Sharks, 4-1.
"It was really cool, that was my first hockey game,'' Mariota said. "So that was really exciting. It was cool to see it live, and it was also fun to get a win."
Tight end Delanie Walker made a similar appearance before a Predators game the previous playoff series.
Mariota said he'll either frame the jersey, or "wear it when the Predators play."
Mariota said he was impressed with the crowd on Tuesday night. He'd like to see the same enthusiasm at Nissan Stadium on Sundays.
"It was loud,'' Mariota said. "The crowd getting into it, the band. It was fun.
"Oh yeah, we need to get that. ... And that is going to start with game one. We have to continue to build and get the momentum going so that fans can get into it. We are working hard."
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