Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
Painful lesson helped Darnold fight trouble
The knuckle below Sam Darnold’s freckled right pinkie is still slightly out of place.
It serves as a once-painful reminder that the New York Jets rookie quarterback needs to keep his emotions in check even in the most frustrating of circumstances.
“I feel like I always remain calm,” Darnold said in a sit-down interview with The Associated Press, “just because I learned a hard lesson that day.”
It came on a basketball court, of all places, courtesy of a crushed metal door.
Darnold was a junior in high school when his San Clemente basketball squad was playing league-rival Trabuco Hills on Jan. 17, 2014. Darnold’s Tritons held a 14-point halftime lead and appeared on their way to an easy victory.
Until they blew it. And then, Darnold completely lost it.
Seething with anger, the Tritons’ leading scorer and rebounder who grew up loving the Los Angeles Lakers and dreaming of being the next Kobe Bryant, stormed off the court after the one-point loss. He did the only thing he thought would help ease the pain.
He put his right fist through his locker.
Darnold didn’t need surgery, but missed the last seven games of the regular season. He would return for the postseason, but his approach to adversity needed serious repair.
“Ever since that moment,” Darnold said, “in times when things maybe aren’t going the way I would like them to — even in life, not just sports, but life, too — I always try to remain calm.”
■ Packers: Green Bay signed rookie cornerback Tony Brown to the active roster from the practice squad after placing defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson on injured reserve.
Brown had joined the Packers’ practice squad after being cut by the Los Angeles Chargers following training camp. The 6-foot Brown had 89 tackles and three interceptions in 51 games at Alabama, where he also a valuable contributor on special teams.
■ Lions: Detroit signed defensive end Eric Lee to the active roster from the practice squad. Lee started five games for the New England Patriots last season and began this season on the Lions’ practice squad.