When Dillon Gabriel talks about his experience of playing college football, he sounds a lot like one of his boyhood idols, Marcus Mariota.
This spring he told ESPN, "The journey of playing at a young age in Hawai'i to now, you understand that you represent so much more than yourself. I understand that I represent the state of Hawai'i, and everyone who has done it before me has done it that way."
Gabriel’s father, Garrett, was a quarterback for University of Hawaii from 1986-1990. During his collegiate career, he threw for 5638 yards, ran for 531 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s currently the basketball coach at Mililani High School, where Dillon set the all-time Hawaii state record for passing yards, breaking the mark set by current Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.
His father coached him through youth ball and on game days they had a simple ritual. Dillon told Paul Honda of Hawaii Prep World , “We’ll soft toss and talk about the game for about an hour. We’ll stop throwing and talk about what I should be looking for. Just quarterback stuff, going over reads. It’s just really basic stuff, try to get loose before the game.”
At Mililani Gabriel started as a freshman after starter Joe Milton (his predecessor at UCF) got hurt. In four years he threw for a state record 9,948 career passing yards. His 105 passing touchdowns were second most in Hawai'i history.
Gabriel was smart, too, a 3.8 student at Mililani. He's since graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Oklahoma.
High school coach Rod York told Honda, "I had full confidence in him. He could throw all the throws. The speed-out and the most difficult, over the middle ‘backers and under the safeties. If you can make those two throws, you can make any throw. You’re one hell of a quarterback.”
On game days even in college, his mother Dori would pack leis in ice and fly with them to wherever Dillon was playing. Colton Sulley of the OU Daily tells this part of the story.
Dori told him the leis signified the love and support of friends and family. She said, “It's a custom, just a symbol and a circle. You wear the garland of flowers for special occasions. It symbolizes love and kindness and spirit. And so, if he wears the Aloha, which is what I envision it to be, then he's a symbol of it (with his) intentionality and the artwork of it.”
Gabriel has dated the same girl since middle school, and the two graduated from OU together. Her aunt works at Lin’s Lei Shop in Honolulu and makes Dillon's game day leis, another connection to community, friends and family.
He places the leis in his locker so they are the first thing he sees after a game, win or lose. Often he'll wear them to postgame interviews, then through the next day when the family goes to Mass.
“That's for me what the flowers represent is just to remind him that he's not here by himself, that we're all here with him,” Dori Gabriel said. “And good, bad or ugly or indifferent. We're here for the journey for him and that's why I want him to walk in knowing that.”
Gabriel feels a deep gratitude and connection to Mililani, so much so that while at Oklahoma he donated $8,000 of his NIL money to his old high school. After Oregon's spring game this April he went even further, hosting a community event called "I'm Inspired" at at John Kauinana Stadium.
In three years he's donated over $250,000 to the school for uniforms and equipment while also arranging a partnership with Nike, uniforms to multiple sports including softball, girls’ volleyball, and girls’ soccer plus both basketball teams.
Gabriel told Rob DeMello of KHON News, “It’s really a big blessing and more importantly, I’m just trying to pay it forward. I represent more than just myself and my family and my school, but also Mililani and where I came from. So that’s a great reminder for me to continue to stay grounded and rooted in the right stuff.”
Integrity, rooted in faith, family and community, has made Gabriel uniquely qualified to lead the Ducks during a season where all the pressure and attention is on them.
At Big Ten media days, Dan Lanning said, “What’s impressed me the most about Dillon is his ability to connect, not just in our program, but outside of our program. Whether taking an offensive retreat and taking our players to different parts of Oregon to throw the ball around in fellowship, or having the managers over to his house to watch a fight or a meal.
"He's really done a great job of connecting quickly. I'm excited about the experience he brings to the position."
The ability to connect and create trust is Dillon Gabriel's greatest strength as a leader and a quarterback. He's formed deep friendships on this team, something that will sustain them under pressure.
Dillon Gabriel is rooted in substance.
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