When the Seattle Seahawks hosted the Los Angeles Rams at Lumen Field, one win completely reshaped the narrative around Sam Darnold. After that 31–27 victory, he is no longer just a former backup QB; he made history, etching his name into USC lore in a way no Trojan QB ever had managed.

“Sam Darnold will be the first USC quarterback to start in a Super Bowl,” reported Kendell Hollowell on Sunday.

It’s a huge moment for the Trojans. Surely, USC has produced iconic QBs for decades, including Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Matt Barkley, and Mark Sanchez, along with Heisman winners, national champions, and NFL stars. Yet somehow, none of them ever started a Super Bowl.

For a program as historic as USC, that omission felt impossible to explain. For now, Sam Darnold’s rise as a Super Bowl–starting QB finally could end that long-standing curse. Although Palmer came closest in 2015, reaching the NFC Championship with Arizona. But he fell one game short.

Now, Darnold led the Seahawks and beat the Rams on Sunday, changing everything. The former USC signal-caller became the first Trojan QB ever to start in a Super Bowl, and it’s a program-altering moment that rewrites a 138-year chapter USC had never been able to finish. But his journey till here has been anything but smooth.

In 2018, drafted third overall, ahead of Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, Darnold’s career nearly vanished into the “bust” conversation after stops in New York and Carolina, followed by a backup role in San Francisco. But the talent never disappeared. Maybe that’s why the narrative has flipped.

Among the 2018 QB class, Darnold is the last one standing in the Super Bowl race. With Allen out and Jackson falling short, the most doubted QB rises to make history for USC. Despite being a backup at USC, his journey with the Seahawks silenced countless doubters. Now, proving them all wrong, his performance speaks volumes about his talent.

The same talent he showcased during his days with the Trojans. In just two seasons as a starter, he threw for 7,229 passing yards and 57 TDs. To cap it off, he led them to a Pac-12 title and delivered a legendary Rose Bowl performance. He even broke Vince Young’s total offense mark along the way!

With under two minutes left in that Rose Bowl, Darnold engineered an 80-yard, game-tying drive, proving his clutch genes, the same ones that have now surfaced in Seattle. But rising from USC to this level in the NFL demanded relentless hard work.

Sam Darnold’s NFL star has steadily risen with time

The QB, once haunted by the infamous “seeing ghosts” moment, is now headed to the Super Bowl. On Sunday, Darnold led the Seahawks past the rival Rams, 31–27, to claim the NFC crown and punch a ticket to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.

But just three years ago, this outcome felt impossible. Drafted third overall out of USC, Darnold arrived with sky-high expectations in New York and watched them crumble fast. After three rough seasons with the Jets, posting a 13–25 record, Darnold moved to Carolina for more instability, followed by a backup stint in San Francisco.

Despite all that, the talent Minnesota unlocked first in 2024 with a Pro Bowl season, while Seattle finished the job. Surely, the Seahawks bet big, but now it hit bigger. Darnold delivered another 14–3 season and saved his best for when it mattered most.

Against the Rams, he was surgical. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a career-defining performance. Now, the former USC QB is headed to the Super Bowl, crafting a redemption story the NFL never saw coming.