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By Tyler Erzberger
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has a story that almost no writer could pen from the start of his pro career to how he's made it all the way to the Super Bowl.
He began in Hollywood as a prized pick from the USC Trojans, and ended up crashing out as a New York Jet, immortalized for "seeing ghosts" following a disaster of a performance. He was tossed around the league like a bust, with some critics counting down the days until he left for Canada or a spring league.
Yet, following a small glimpse of potential with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup, he got a chance to prove himself with the Minnesota Vikings. And even after going 14-3, a humiliating postseason defeat to the Los Angeles Rams continued his odyssey, pushing him to another franchise in Seattle.
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With the Seahawks, though, he's found a home for the present and future. He built on his success with the Vikings and righted the wrongs of his previous almost-decade in the league, defeating the Rams in the NFC Championship with the best game of his life to reach Super Bowl LX.
By starting in the upcoming climax of the season, Darnold will also be making history.
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Out of every outstanding QB that has come out of USC, Darnold, the one who has had the craziest road to get there, will be the first Trojan QB to start in the Super Bowl.
When he goes against New England's Drake Maye, it will be a battle of two signal-callers with wildly different stories to get there.
Although they were both selected third in their respective drafts, Maye has had the picture-perfect ascension. After a solid first year, he's blossomed as an MVP contender in his sophomore season, planting his flag as the Patriots QB for the next decade-plus.
Darnold was supposed to have Maye's career path, but was anything but, bouncing like a pinball around organizations before finally finding the franchise that he believes he can grow his legacy and change his narrative for good.
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