Sam Darnold parents Michael and Chris Darnold are from the Dana Point region in South California. Michael played football at Redlands.
When the New York Jets selected Sam in the 2018 NFL Draft, Michael and his wife, Chris, were amazed by his success, and they were in the stand to watch him play in the NFL for the first time.
At Ford Field, when the Jets announced Sam, his father, Michael, and his mother, Chris felt immense joy and pride. His elder sister Franki was also overwhelmed with dignity after seeing Sam on the biggest stage of world football.
The 25-year-old now plays quarterback for the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at USC, where he was a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection. Sam is enjoying the momentum of his career and has been vital for the Panthers' recent triumph.
Sam Darnold Parents Raised Him In California
Sam Darnold parents Chris And Michael Darnold live in Capo Beach. Chris and Michael introduced Sam to various sports during his childhood.
They have witnessed the transformation of Sam from being a backup QB at USC Trojans to a top young talent in the NFL. However, his journey to be one of the most decorated quarterbacks in the country was never a straight path, reports Bleacher Report.
Despite being former athletes, Chris and Michael were strict and reluctant to raise him. They brought up Sam in Southern California, surrounded by an excessively concerned family who would do everything to see their kids flourish.
Despite this, they did not invest in individual training, coaching, or the best tools like many of their contemporaries did. Chris and Michael have faith in their baby boy, an adept athletically-gifted kid, and they want him to learn everything independently.
Michael did not want to pressurize him to choose sports as a career. He left the decision to Sam. No matter how hard one tries, their kid will not invest their heart in it if they do not want to play.
Sam's dad and mom let him play all the sports and then made him decide which one he liked and wanted to continue. His extraordinary physical prowess stems from his participation in sports besides football.
Chris and Michael taught him to be focused and goal driven. And Sam is just like that. Darnold's tale is not that of the flashy, rackety player born to control the constant hype machine on the internet.
Sam belongs to an athletic family, as both his mom and dad were once passionate athletes during their college life.
Michael Played Football At College
Michael was a skilled football player positioned as an offensive lineman at the University of Redlands, headquartered in Redlands, California. He is now 58 and works as a medical gas plumber.
His son Sam strikes a grounded and modest human. There is no sign of ego or conceit. He started playing with his old man when he was just five. The two used to play also of games, including basketball, football, volleyball, and swimming, in front of their house.
Chris Is A Former Volleyball Player
Similarly, his mother, Chris physical education teacher at Shorecliffs Middle School, played volleyball at Long Beach City College. She shared a journey of raising two athletes on Bleav's "Your Mom" episode two in August 2022. She has been his greatest fan since day one.
Speaking of other family members, Sam's grandpa Darnold was a USC athlete and ex-cop. He dedicated the rest of his retired life to helping teens and adults with alcohol addiction in Orange County, California.
He remembered Sam as a dedicated child with a good heart. Grandfather Darnold played basketball for USC in the 1954 Final Four and competed for Team USA in the Olympic volleyball competition in 1964.
Sam Darnold Older Sibling Is Franki Darnold
Sam elder sister Franki Darnold plays collegiate volleyball at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston.
She was inspired by her mum Chris who played volleyball while in college at Long Beach City. Franki was born three years earlier than her brother Sam on May 26, 1994.
The 28-year-old graduated in 2016 and majored in writing and leadership studies, and she aims to become an author or journalist in the future. Franki relishes reading books and novels and playing beach volleyball.
She has been a part of the T-Street Volleyball club for three years and Laguna Beach V.C. for a year. At San Clemente High School, Franki played varsity volleyball for three years and became the team's captain.
The older sibling won many accolades while playing there, such as Team Player Award in 2011, the First Team All-League honoree, and was enumerated in the Orange County All-Star Team in 2012.
Franki attended the University of Rhode Island in 2012, where she was identified as a Division I collegiate volleyball player and competed in various competitions.
She immediately impacted the team, and by 2015 Frankie became only the tenth player in the university's history to accomplish 1,000 kills. She now sits at 1,356 kills, the third most in the school's history.
In her first year, she appeared in 44 games which rose to 112 in her sophomore year, and for her junior year in 2014, Frankie played in 103 matches. She was the most consistent player on the team and was a crucial player in Rhode's success.
Frankie set another record in becoming the foremost Ram in ten years to attain Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team honors. An achievement she is still immensely proud of.
In August 2017, She joined the volleyball coaching staff, and since then, she has been dealing more with planning routines, formulating strategies, and making decisions about player positions and game tactics.
Before she ventured into coaching stuff, Franki briefly worked as a correspondent for the San Clemente Times and on the Los Angeles Rams' team.
"While the four years spent in Rhode Island has brought my most significant personal growth," Frankie shared her experiences participating in athletics at Rhode Island on her blog website.
Besides her sis Frankie, Sam has three younger cousins in his family who are also into sports: Allie, Michele, and A.J.
