Sam Darnold has spent most of his football life trying to outrun doubt. He was questioned everywhere from New York to Carolina and claimed to be yet another quarterback bust. Even after he made a comeback, throwing 4,319 yards and tossing 35 touchdowns with Minnesota, he was shown the door. Darnold, though, didn’t sulk; he just kept going. Now in Seattle, he’s taken that same edge and turned it into a Super Bowl run. He is finally getting the spotlight now, and talks about how he would become the first USC alumnus quarterback to ever play in a Super Bowl, which started making the rounds. And then, almost on cue, that moment slipped away too, another reminder that with Sam Darnold, even the highs tend to come with a twist.

USC has gone on to refute any of those claims, noting that there was another former Trojan who reached football’s biggest stage before Darnold. However, the Torjans mean no disrespect, and neither are they undermining Sam Darnold’s achievement. While his contributions are undeniable, USC shared that former quarterback Willie Wood had already represented them in a Super Bowl final in a post on X. That effectively put an end to the rumors.

However, in whichever way you see it, the Seahawks were the ones who truly believed in him. After he was let go, Seattle bet big with a three-year $100.5 million deal that raised eyebrows across the league. Now that he is leading them to Super Bowl LX in his very first season with them, it sure must have silenced critics; at least it did the Vikings.

Letting go of Sam Darnold seems to have backfired for Minnesota. They finished third in the NFC North at 9–8, undone by injuries and turnovers, and a constant shuffle at quarterback. This is in sharp contrast to the season Darnold was in, where they only lost four games all season. This move is now even being questioned in the locker room. “When you’ve got a group of guys behind a quarterback, and he wants to stay somewhere, I think you should try to make it work,” Aaron Jones said.

Moreover, for Seattle, there is also more than one reason to highlight Willie Wood. Firstly, he is one of the NFL’s greats and became the first USC alumnus to play in Super Bowl I in 1967. He was part of legendary head coach Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers, which won back-to-back Super Bowl I and II. Being part of the first two Super Bowl victories in NFL history while representing USC is a legacy the Trojans simply cannot forget. And Wood was equally impressive at USC. Playing as a quarterback from 1957 to 1959, he became the first African American to start at that position in the Pac-12 Conference.

Secondly, it’s about how Wood transitioned from being a quarterback to becoming a defensive back, which is unheard of in modern football. He played in a football era that demanded players to play both offense and defense. This would turn out to be a boon for Wood, who developed this positional versatility, which Lombardi utilized later.

And finally, it comes down to Wood’s journey as a player. Despite his talents, Wood was undrafted after his collegiate career was over. That would even strike down the toughest, but Wood was not ready to give up. In an attempt to plead his case, Wood reached out to NFL teams seeking an opportunity. And in a turn of events, his request for a tryout was accepted by Vince Lombardi.

Sam Darnold on His Parents Shaping His Mentality

Darnold was flocked during the Super Bowl week by reporters from his old NFL stops. They were there for well-wishes, and well, he did have the right to fire back on them now, but that’s never been his style. Darnold stayed grounded, saying, “Every experience is its own. I knew I could do this at a high level, and that’s what kept me going. I knew at some point an opportunity would arise.” He showed patience and maturity. But where does this mental clarity and toughness come from?

According to Darnold, it starts at home, as he credited his parents as his first example of discipline in an interview with The Athletic.

“My dad worked as a plumber, and my mom is a PE teacher, and it never mattered what kind of day they had. They were always consistent for my sister and me,” Darnold said. “It didn’t matter what had happened at work; my dad was always out there playing catch with me afterward. So, you know, I feel like I just naturally kind of learned to be resilient.”

That resilience showed itself when Sam Darnold suffered an oblique injury against the 49ers earlier in the season. With limited playing time in the playoffs, fans were worried if the quarterback would be available for the final. Luckily, he worked his way back and completed a full practice before the game in Santa Clara, giving fans hope.