The Superbowl may have been a bit of a Super-bore, but I was very happy to see one thing finally happen.
Sam Darnold had his long overdue moment in the sun, and he is now a Superbowl champion.
Darnold’s journey was the quintessential story of redemption, patience and self-belief in a league that often values upside and the flavour of the month over hard work and dependability.
You see, teams gave up on Darnold four times already, since the Seahawks were the fifth team he has played for after being drafted by the Jets 3rd overall in 2018.
Yes, the Jets. The New York Jets. The usually in last place Jets.
He was then traded to Carolina, released and signed by the 49’ers as a backup, and then started and led Minnesota to a 14-3 record last year before not being re-signed.
Those four teams, including one of the worst in the entire NFL, gave up on Darnold. He wasn’t instantly good as a rookie, struggled against good teams in big games, and wasn’t flashy or arrogant.
You know who believed in him…the Seahawks…to the tune of 100-million dollars over three years…in his first with the team, he led them to a Superbowl.
The lesson here is that you shouldn’t get too wrapped up in stats or accolades. A QB drafted and later traded by the Jets just won the Superbowl in a game that was as one-sided as the critiques often aimed at the winning quarterback.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the headlines.
