Clay Helton Just Sent A Strong Message About Sam Darnold

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is about a week away from taking the field at Super Bowl LX. The former USC Trojans star will be the first Trojan to ever start at quarterback in a Super Bowl.

Darnold’s coach in his time at USC, Clay Helton, congratulated him on social media.

Clay Helton Congratulates Sam Darnold

USC Trojans Sam Darnold Starting Quarterback Clay Helton Coach Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft Super Bowl LX Minnesota Vikings — Nov 12, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; USC Trojans head coach Clay Helton hugs USC Trojans quarterback Sam Darnold (14) following a 26-13 victory against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Clay Helton was the coach of USC from 2015-2021. He had an overall record of 46-24. This included a Pac-12 Championship and Rose Bowl win with Darnold as his quarterback in 2016 and 2017. With Darnold and the Seahawks making it the Super Bowl, Helton took to social media to congratulate his former quarterback.

“Sam Darnold- class, character, team over self, and just plain guts. The ultimate professional,” Helton posted on his X account. “You are defined by how you face adversity. You faced to like a champion. So proud of you brother. Go win it all!”

Sam Darnold- class, character, team over self, and just plain guts. The ultimate professional. You are defined by how you face adversity. You faced it like a champion. So proud of you brother. Go win it all! pic.twitter.com/thlGdUx9A3
— Clay Helton (@GSCoachHelton) January 26, 2026

At USC from 2015-2017, Darnold threw for 7,229 yards and 57 total touchdowns. He was named the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2016 and was First-team All-Pac-12 in 2017. He declared for the 2018 NFL Draft and was selected No. 3 overall by the New York Jets.

Darnold has had to battle through his fair share of adversity as a pro, but has managed to persevere and is now playing his best football.

MORE: Gary Patterson Gets Real About USC's Top Ranked Recruits

MORE: Penn State's Potential 'White Out' Game Revealed

MORE: Three Potential ESPN College GameDay Appearances for USC Trojans

SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER HERE!

Sam Darnold’s NFL Turnaround

Darnold’s run the past two seasons has been one of the best comeback stories in the NFL. After being selected by the Jets, Darnold struggled. He only stayed with the Jets for three seasons from 2018-2020 and was then traded to the Carolina Panthers. Darnold played just two seasons in Carolina and they decided not to re-sign him.

In 2023, Darnold signed with the San Francisco 49ers on a one-year deal to be the backup to quarterback Brock Purdy. The following offseason, Darnold was signed to another one-year deal, this time with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings brought in Darnold to likely be the backup to rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, but McCarthy suffered a season ending injury in the preseason. This gave Darnold another chance at starting and he took advantage.

In 2024, Darnold threw for 4,319 yards and 35 touchdowns. The Vikings went 14-3 and made it to the playoffs as a wild-card team. Darnold didn’t play well in their playoff loss, but he proved through the year that he was capable of being a franchise level starting quarterback in the NFL. The Vikings decided that they would ride with McCarthy in 2025 and Darnold signed a three-year deal with the Seahawks.

This season, Darnold has thrown for 4,048 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Seahawks went 14-3 in the regular season and are now just one win away from bringing home a Super Bowl. Darnold answered any question about his ability to play well in big games with his 346 yard, three touchdown performance in the Seahawks' NFC Championship win over the Los Angeles Rams.

If Darnold can led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots on Feb. 8, it will cap off one of the great turnarounds in NFL history for a player who many thought was a “draft bust” after his first five seasons.