Sam Darnold’s NFL journey has been nothing short of inspiring. 

The quarterback finally got to hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy with his Seattle Seahawks, his fifth NFL team, Sunday in Santa Clara.

Darnold was the third overall pick out of USC in 2018 to the New York Jets, where he was hoping to take the team out of playoff purgatory and cement himself as one of the greats for “Gang Green.”

Instead, Darnold found himself out of New York after three seasons, traded to the Carolina Panthers and beginning his move from the East Coast to West Coast.

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After battling with Baker Mayfield in Carolina, Darnold eventually landed as Brock Purdy’s backup with the San Francisco 49ers. Then he got another shot at starting in the league with the Minnesota Vikings, leading them to a 14-3 record.

The success Darnold found led to choices in free agency, every player’s dream. He went with the Seahawks, reuniting with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and the rest is now history.

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So, as Darnold sat at a Raising Cane’s to celebrate with a “shift” in front of Seahawks fans after the 29-13 victory, Fox News Digital asked him what lesson might be learned from his journey through the league.

“I really think it’s about believing in yourself and taking it one day at a time,” he said over the phone. “I think, if there’s any lesson, it’s that. Continue to be yourself in any situation and always believe in yourself.”

Darnold’s belief led him to this point. And he got a taste of what Wednesday will be like at the parade in Seattle when Seahawks fans flocked to Raising Cane’s to see their Super Bowl-winning quarterback.

“It’s unbelievable, man,” he said. “I mean, the warm welcome I got with fans was just pretty special. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. It’s just unlike anything I’ve seen.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throws a pass during the first half of the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

“They’ve shown up for us all season, all the way to the end. So, I’m very thankful to be playing here in Seattle with these fans.”

Fox News Digital spoke with Darnold in March 2025 when he made the decision to join the Seahawks after they had just traded Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders, making the starting quarterback spot open. He said he loved the mutual interest and believed in head coach Mike Macdonald and the group of guys already in the building.

Darnold was simply hoping to fit in and help lead the team to the promised land. Mission accomplished.

“Clearly, I made the right decision,” he said almost one year later. “It’s been a very special ride with this group, with my teammates and the coaching staff that we had this year.

Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks walks on the field after the NFC championship against the Los Angeles Rams Jan. 25, 2026, in Seattle. The Seattle Seahawks won 31-27. (Getty Images)

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“It’s funny, I feel like after the Super Bowl even, we all wanted to play another game. Maybe not physically, but mentally, emotionally, we’re still in it, and we just love playing ball with each other. That’s all you can ask for when you sign up to play this great game.”

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Rory McIlroy, a two-time winner of the Players Championship, believes the PGA Tour’s flagship event is one of the best tournaments in the world — just not the fifth major.

While speaking to reporters Tuesday ahead of this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, McIlroy was asked where The Players stacks up with the other majors (Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open and The Open) after he completed the career Grand Slam by capturing a green jacket at the Masters last season.

“Look, I’d love to have seven majors instead of five, that sounds great,” McIlroy said. “I think The Players is one of the best golf tournaments in the world. I don’t think anyone disputes that or argues that. I think from a player perspective, it’s amazing. I think from an on-site fan experience, it’s amazing. It’s an amazing golf course, location, [and] venue.

“But I’m a traditionalist. I’m a historian of the game. We have four major championships. You know, if you want to see what five major championships look like, look at the women’s game. I don’t know how well that’s [gone] for them.”

The LPGA includes five majors on its schedule each season: Chevron Championship, U.S. Women’s Open, Women’s PGA Championship, Amundi Evian Championship and the Women’s Open.

McIlroy believes competing for the four traditional majors is enough for the men’s professional game.

“But it’s The Players — it doesn’t need to be anything else,” said McIlroy, who defeated J.J. Spaun in a three-hole aggregate playoff at last year’s Players. “Like I would say it’s got more of an identity than the PGA Championship does at the minute. So like from an identity standpoint, I think The Players has got it nailed. It is an amazing tournament in its own rite, and I don’t think it being classified [as] a major or not a major makes it any more or any less.”

As for the PGA Championship, McIlroy believes the tournament needs to move back to August as the final major, when it was “glory’s last shot” each season. It’s currently played in May as the season’s second major.

The debate about whether The Players should be considered the fifth major heated up again in recent weeks after the PGA Tour launched a trailer ahead of next month’s event that included the motto, “March is going to be major.”

LIV Golf League captain Phil Mickelson, the 2007 Players Championship winner, pushed back, writing on his X account: “I’ve won it. It’s not.”

The Players has long been considered one of the most difficult tournaments to win because of its deep field — world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is the only back-to-back champion, in 2023 and 2024, in the 51-year history of the event.

Mickelson argued on X that since LIV Golf stars like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm aren’t allowed to compete in the event, the PGA Tour can no longer make that argument.

“I’m still very proud to have won that tournament twice, as I’m sure all the other champions are,” McIlroy said. “It stands on its own without the label, I guess.”

U.S. Olympic bobsled member Jasmine Jones is competing in her first-ever Olympics in Milan Cortina. 

As a mother of a five-year-old and Air Force servicemember, the pride of representing the U.S. has brought her game “to a different caliber.” 

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“I feel like being able to represent my country, as well as being an athlete for my country, it definitely brings a different meaning and a different caliber. I feel like there’s so few people who do both at the same time, and I’m honored to have this opportunity to represent both. I’m thankful for being an airman and representing my country in that aspect,” Jones told Fox News Digital. 

“It definitely ties it together and brings different meaning and how much more I have to give.”

Jones just barely missed out on qualifying for the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. So she joined the Air Force in April 2023, which allowed her to undergo a much more rigorous training routine, which she credits for her ability to qualify for this year’s games. 

“I’m just thankful to be an airman,” she said. “Going into the WCAT program, that allowed me to truly have my offseason training, allowed me to get to this point … having that offseason training to be able to focus truly and put in the work, that transpired with this moment.” 

Jones had her daughter in 2021 and was looking for stability as a means to achieve her goal of reaching the Olympics. The Air Force gave her that path.

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Olympian Jasmine Jones of Team United States poses for a photo on February 03, 2026 ahead of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.  (IOC via Getty Images)

“I wanted to do something that gives me more stability, there was a time when I was working my civilian job and trying to train at the same time, and it just wasn’t enough. I know I wanted to dedicate my time towards bobsled,” Jones said. 

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is being resilient, and I feel like that plays a part, where going into basic and you’re waking up early, you’re following orders, you’re getting that discipline needed and that goes into bobsled… so I feel like transitioning from basic training and having that discipline as well translates into just knowing exactly what I’m supposed to do.” 

Jones’ appreciation for representing the U.S. comes at a time when other American Olympians are being openly critical of their country in Italy. Team USA athletes Hunter Hess, Amber Glenn and Mikaela Shiffrin have all made statements criticizing the state of the U.S. while competing in Italy. 

But Jones now joins ice hockey player Brady Tkachuk in openly praising the U.S. and expressing honor and gratitude for representing it in Milan Cortina.

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Jones said she hasn’t looked at social media at all as of late, so is unaware of any criticism of her country by Team USA teammates. 

Team USA fans can send Jones and fellow airman Kelly Curtis, also currently competing in Italy, a personalized letter through a program involving partnership between Team USA and Sadboxx. 

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