Sam Darnold Thanks Seahawks at Super Bowl Parade After 'A Lot of People Didn't Believe in Me'

Sam Darnold went from draft bust to Super Bowl hero, and he shouted out the Seattle Seahawks and their fans for believing in him during the team's championship parade on Wednesday.

"I've talked a lot this last week about belief," he said, per ESPN's Brady Henderson. "A lot of people didn't believe in me, but it didn't matter because the ones that are close believed in me, including you all. I appreciate you all so much. That short list also includes [team owner] Jody Allen, [general manager] John Schneider, [coach] Mike Macdonald. I appreciate the belief you all had in me for signing me this past year.

"And last but certainly not least, these players, man, for believing in me. I wouldn't be here without these guys."

Belief has been a constant theme for Darnold in the days after lifting the Lombardi Trophy, and he even said in the immediate aftermath that "anything is possible" if one has self-belief:

It would have been easy for Darnold to have some self-doubt along the way.

After all, the No. 3 pick of the 2018 NFL draft did not turn into the franchise quarterback the New York Jets envisioned. He went 13-25 as a starter in three seasons for the Jets and then bounced around to the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers.

Even when he appeared to resurrect his career by going 14-3 in his one season as the starter of the Minnesota Vikings, questions persisted when he struggled at the end of the season and lost in the team's first playoff game.

Those questions served as the backdrop when Minnesota decided not to bring him back and instead hand the offense over to J.J. McCarthy, but that didn't stop the Seahawks from signing him to a three-year, $100.5 million deal after they traded Geno Smith this past offseason.

That chance paid off with football's ultimate prize for the Seahawks.

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Darnold completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 4,048 yards, 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during the regular season and then cemented his place as a franchise legend by leading Seattle to the Super Bowl title.

He was unbelievable in the NFC Championship Game win over the Los Angeles Rams when he threw for 346 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions and then managed the Super Bowl against an overmatched Patriots team.

The result was a parade, which gave him a chance to further thank those who believed in him.