Seattle Seahawks‘ Sam Darnold won a Super Bowl wearing No. 14. However, years before he achieved glory, the quarterback began his journey with a different number. San Clemente High, where it all began for Darnold, bestowed an important honor on this star alumnus.

The school retired Darnold’s No. 18 jersey, which he wore for the team, and inducted him into their Hall of Fame.

“Sam Darnold stands among the most accomplished student-athletes in San Clemente High School history,” the school’s football team said in an Instagram post. “A distinguished two-sport athlete, he earned League MVP honors in both football and basketball while leading the Tritons to league championships in each sport. His exceptional achievements also earned him recognition as All-CIF Offensive Player of the Year, All-County, and Orange County Register Athlete of the Year.”

Darnold was a jack-of-all-trades in high school. He began as a wide receiver and linebacker as a freshman, and replaced the senior starting quarterback by the end of the season. In his senior season, Darnold threw for 2,985 yards and 38 touchdowns, leading the team to a CIF-Southern Section Southwest Division championship game.

The Seahawks quarterback is also a star on the court. Darnold was averaging an impressive 13.7 points per game and was a key player on that team. Former head basketball coach at San Clemente High, Mark Popovich, told the Pioneer Press that Darnold was the “best basketball player” he saw in his tenure with the school.

Darnold decided to focus on football and went to USC. As a Trojan, the quarterback won the 2017 Pac-12 championship and also went to the Cotton Bowl. Just like when he came out of high school, Darnold was an elite prospect heading into the 2018 draft.

The New York Jets treated him like so and picked him with their third overall pick. However, this is where Darnold’s troubles would begin.

The Jets finished 7-6 in games Darnold started as a rookie, but went 2-10 in the next two seasons. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, but an ankle injury derailed this stint. The Panthers did not renew his contract, after which he became a free agent.

At this point, it looked like the once-star athlete was meant to be a backup in the NFL. He was signed by the San Francisco 49ers, where he was the No. 2 to Brock Purdy. Even when Minnesota signed him in 2024, they offered him a cautious, one-year contract. However, there was much more in store for him

Darnold threw for a whopping 4,319 yards as a starter and scored 35 touchdowns. Six years after he’d joined the league, the QB recorded his first winning season, posting a 14-3 finish.

He repeated that same feat with the Seattle Seahawks and is now a Super Bowl champion. All because Darnold never gave up.

Sam Darnold is a quiet person, but he’s always had a fire in him

The Pioneer News reported that Darnold once broke his foot during a football game in high school. He could have tapped out, but that competitor and team player in him soldiered on to get his team downfield and score a touchdown. And, he was once so angry after losing a basketball game that he punched his locker hard enough to hurt himself.

No wonder Sam Darnold has persevered through everything he faced in his professional career.

“He wasn’t used to losing,” Darnold’s childhood friend, Nick Crankshaw, told the Pioneer. “He got so (ticked) off that he shoved me into the bushes and locked me in his backyard.

“As cool, calm, and collected as he is, deep down he’s a super fiery competitor. He has that burning passion, even if he might not always show it when he’s standing at a podium.”

Look up the moment when Darnold hoisted the Lombardi into the air after the Super Bowl. There’s no rah-rah; no words at all, really. But that small smile gives us a peek into what he has always been: a fighter.