“‘Can you take me back to the offseason and your initial impression when you got Sam Darnold in the building?”
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell sits back in his office, looks out over the snow and considers the answer to the question.
And then there were eight
NFL Playoffs – Divisional Round
Saturday – Houston Texans @ Kansas City Chiefs (AFC)
Saturday – Washington Commanders @ Detroit Lions (NFC)
Sunday – Minnesota Vikings or Los Angeles Rams @ Philadelphia Eagles (NFC)
Sunday – Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills (AFC)
“My first impressions with Sam go back much, much longer further than that,” he tells talkSPORT.
It is a response that begins a near five minute reply that says as much about the quarterback as it does about the coach – but right now, it’s the QB that is the story.
Darnold’s story with his HC, goes back a long way, right to the start of both men’s journey that now has them on the road to the Super Bowl.
“I got a chance to be around Sam in his senior year of high school,” O’Connell continues in an extended video call with UK journalists.
“He was one of the elite 11 quarterbacks and I had just gotten done playing. I got a chance to be one of the counsellors and coaches at that camp.
“I got a chance to be around him as a 17-year-old and really liked him, liked his personality.
“You can’t sit there and say, I knew at that point that Sam was going to throw for 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns. I did not know that, but I became a fan.”
The Vikings face the Los Angles Rams in Arizona on Monday night in the last game of Super Wild Card Weekend – the game moved as a result of the fires wreaking havoc in LA.
But as Darnold prepares to lead them into the contest, he was on the scrap pile just a few months ago, which is where O’Connell stepping in – knowing the player’s toughness.
“He played in the Cotton Bowl in his last college football game against an Ohio State team that had Nick Bosa and Chase Young,” O’Connell remembers of Darnold’s USC final appearance.
GettySam Darnold has dazzled for the Minnesota Vikings this season[/caption]
GettyKevin O’Connell has led the Vikings to the playoffs for the second successive season[/caption]
“These guys were rushing the quarterback like very few college teams can. Sam threw it over 40 times and moved the team and competed like crazy.
“It was the plays where he was under duress and he was getting hit and there was zero flinch.
“You saw the talent, you saw the toughness, you saw the athleticism and you saw a guy in very difficult circumstances, compete like crazy and lead his team. Didn’t win the game, but sometimes in life, some of the greatest things you can extract out of tough experiences are how you handled that moment.”
Six years on from being taken with the third overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft, to be the face of the franchise for the starcrossed New York Jets, Darnold was without a team.
Having been traded to the Carolina Panthers when the Jets took Zach Wilson in 2021, Darnold then moved on after one season in Charlotte.
He landed in San Francisco with quarterback whisperer and O’Connell’s mentor, Kyle Shanahan, but unfortunately he was behind Brock Purdy – the Mr Irrelevant baling out and now giving the 49ers a $300m headache.
Darnold was a free agent and signed a one-year deal in Minnesota, backing up what many expected to be a highly-touted draft prospect.
Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy was selected with the 10th pick in April last year but suffered a serious knee injury and has missed the whole season.
Darnold stepped in, stepped up and has not looked back.
“Sam was really the guy that we identified as the guy we would want to bring in here.
“Not knowing exactly how the quarterback room would look with potentially adding a rookie quarterback in the draft and also having Nick Mullens here as well.
“I shared with him the idea ‘you’ve had a wide variety of experiences in this league during your journey, but I believe that all experience is good experience
“What we’re going to do is we’re going to build something around things that I believe you do well, which are a lot of things.”
Darnold responded and enters the post season with 4,319 yards (5th in the NFL) and 35 passing touchdowns (also 5th in the NFL) and with the 14-3 Vikings a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
In O’Connell, Darnold has found something of a kindred spirit.
O’Connell was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third round, having backed up Tom Brady for one season he bounced around the league before embarking on a coaching career.
Both men have strong ties to California, Darnold was born in Dana Point Orange County , went to High School and college at USC in the state.
O’Connell was born in Knoxville, Tennessee but went to High School and college in San Diego.
They’ll be a decision to make in the offseason. McCarthy will be fully fit and Darnold has shown he can carry an offense, he will be out of contract a big-money bad day, in Minneapolis or elsewhere looms.
There’s no doubt he has helped the Vikings, but the Vikings have also helped him.
“We pride ourselves on having a real emphasis to help that guy do his job, especially when they’re as talented as Sam is,” O’Connell adds.
“It was only a matter of time before he played really well in our offense. I did not see him necessarily playing as well as he has.
“I think that would have been some stealth expectations, but that’s what makes me so proud of him.
“What makes our game and our league so unique is you can have a vision and pour everything you have into creating and executing that vision.
“A lot of times if you do it the right way and you do it with the right people, great things are going to happen.
“And I think that’s the story of Sam Darnold this year.”
Darnold is facing questions for the first time since the first weeks of the season after coming up short in their battle with the Detroit Lions last week.
It dropped them to the fifth seed and a postseason on the road – but the Vikings have risen to every challenge.
Just like their quarterback.
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