Sam Darnold’s NFL journey is an obvious testament to the importance of perseverance and self belief. Undeterred by unsuccessful stints in New York and Carolina, the highly touted USC prospect embraced a backup role in San Francisco, before leading the Minnesota Vikings to a 14-3 record in 2024-25 and the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl one year later.
But Darnold does not see his journey as a one-man redemption story. Prior to working a celebratory shift at Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers this Tuesday, the star athlete stressed the value of perspective – and a support system.
“Everyone’s going through something,” said Darnold during a press conference. “Realizing that and having that perspective has always been huge for me; it might be a weird way to think about it, but life could always be worse. I get to play quarterback in the NFL. It’s such a blessing to be able to do this. And I just wake up every day excited to go to work.”
The takeaway, here, is that one should not derive validation from a singular achievement. They should celebrate the fact that they have an opportunity – and take pride in the fact that they’re doing their best to capitalize on it.
While cherishing their situation, it is equally important to acknowledge those who are helping to make it happen, even if (or perhaps especially if) their support comes behind-the-scenes.
“Having great friends, having a great family to have my back throughout that whole process definitely helps,” noted Darnold. “But also having teammates. A lot of my story is very public because I’m a quarterback. When things don’t go well on the field, usually you get all the blame. If things go well, you get a lot of the credit. But there are a lot of guys in our locker room, even in Seattle, that have gone through a lot this year.”
Beyond friends, family, and teammates, Darnold benefits from a passionate fanbase. Throughout his time at Raising Cane’s, Darnold made clear how much their support means to him. He saluted them throughout the press conference. He did his best to interact with the many who watched his shift through the restaurant’s windows. He also jumped at the chance to speak to them publicly before departing the Cane’s engagement.
“The fans are the reason why a lot of us play this game,” declared Darnold. “Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do it for a living. The fans and all the crazy nicknames that they give me, all the love that they share … the amount of people that are even here today shows you just how much this game can bring people together. That’s why I love interacting with all the fans; that’s why it’s so important to me.”
In reflecting on fan support, Darnold naturally recognized the Seattle community, which has embraced him as a franchise quarterback. More than one thousand, in fact, showed up just for the mere chance to see him during his Cane’s shift.
“Seattle is a very hard working community; a hard working city,” explained Darnold. “And that’s the way I was raised. My dad’s a plumber. My mom was a middle school PE teacher for close to 30 years. That’s how I grew up. So I can really resonate with a lot of the hard work that people love to do in this city. You can tell by the way that they cheer for us; they care so much about our team and everything that we stand for. We try to put our best foot forward, and we try to put the best product out there on the field for the fans.”
But he also included a shout-out to fans of the New York Jets, the team for which he played his initial NFL seasons.
“I always look at myself and feel like I could have done a lot more for that franchise when I was there,” reflected Darnold. “The fact that they’re able to support me even through that means a lot.”
Darnold’s appreciation for friends, family, fans, and community echoes the mindset espoused by Raising Cane’s and its founder Todd Graves. The beloved restaurant franchise routinely makes clear that it is not simply looking to sell chicken to new markets; it is looking to become part of communities.
That mentality is why Cane’s invited Darnold to work a shift in its brand new Seattle location (officially opening February 17). It is why it invited fans to come out and see the star quarterback in person. It is why members of the University of Washington football team were able to be part of the celebration – and why school memorabilia is so visible on the restaurant’s walls.
One day after visiting the new Raising Cane’s location (at 4345 University Way NE in Seattle, WA), Darnold joined his coaches, teammates, football peers, friends, family, and a massive group of fans for the annual Super Bowl parade. The reciprocal love between Seahawks players and fans was something to behold.
