Jets' Darnold, Bills' Allen take in U.S. Open
New York Jets quarterback Sam Darnold (14) answers questions from the media during the team's minicamp on Tuesday.
New York Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold was quite recognizable while walking the grounds of the U.S. Open on Saturday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
So much so that a fan who was wearing a polo shirt with the New York Giants logo asked for a photo with Darnold, who was selected with the third overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
"We've got to get you a Jets polo," the 21-year-old Darnold said with a smile, per the New York Post. "That blue doesn't look good on you."
Darnold attended the event with friend and fellow rookie quarterback Josh Allen, who was selected with the seventh overall pick of the draft by the Buffalo Bills.
"We talk about it in the quarterback room all the time," Darnold said, per the newspaper. "Whenever we get a chance to watch greatness, whatever it is, you learn from it -- even last weekend with Justify winning the Triple Crown. You appreciate that.
"As a quarterback and someone who's striving to be great, it's crazy to see guys like Dustin Johnson able to do what he does. It's just so cool to watch greatness in action."
Darnold hopes to be great with the Jets, who have limped to back-to-back 5-11 seasons and haven't made the playoffs since consecutive trips to the AFC Championship Game following the 2009 and 2010 campaigns.
New York's desire for a top-tier quarterback was on display after the team made a blockbuster pre-draft trade with the Indianapolis Colts to move up three slots to No. 3. It paid a hefty price to do so as the Jets sent the No. 6 pick and a pair of second-round selections (Nos. 37 and 49) this year along with a second-round pick in the 2019 draft to the Colts.
From the team's perspective, the gamble paid off when Darnold, considered the top quarterback in the draft by NFLDraftScout senior analyst Rob Rang, fell to them at the third spot.
Darnold completed 303 of 480 passes for 4,143 yards, with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions with the Trojans last season.
Allen, who is listed at 6-foot-5, 237 pounds, threw for 1,966 yards with 19 touchdowns last season at Wyoming.
Recent Stories
No. 16 Marquette kicks off Big East schedule vs. St. John's
After an impressive showing during a formidable non-conference slate, No. 16 Marquette kicks off the Big East portion of its schedule Tuesday night when it takes ...
Virginia Tech begins ACC season against Notre Dame
No more preliminaries or cupcakes. No more feeling-out processes.
The basketball teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference will know knock antlers for the next two ...
No. 9 Florida State ready for final non-conference game before ACC play
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- After another long layoff, the Florida State men's basketball team finds itself ready to the page on 2018 on Tuesday with a New Year's Day showdown ...
No. 7 Gonzaga on roll as it faces Cal State Bakersfield
A softening schedule and being home for the holidays have Gonzaga humming.
The No. 7 Zags have raced to leads of 31-2 and 29-1 in their past two games, blowouts ...
No. 4 Virginia wraps up non-conference slate against Marshall
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. -- Playing just their third game over the past couple of weeks during the holiday season, No. 4 Virginia closes out their non-conference schedule ...
Latest Player Notes
How a Wisconsin legend got his German protégé into Badgers pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Marlon Werthmann put his life on hold for the opportunity in front of him Friday at the McClain Center.Werthmann ...
Why former Wisconsin football running back Braelon Allen didn't run the 40 at pro day
Mar 15, 2024
Braelon Allen’s sweat covered his shirt and dripped off his beard as he approached a group of reporters Friday.The ...
How can UW recruit its best class ever? It starts with these five prospects
By Andy Yamashita
Seattle Times staff reporter
Jedd Fisch has lofty recruiting goals at Washington. He didn’t waste any ...
Texas football kicks off spring practice Tuesday. We answer 24 questions for the 2024 team
Things certainly look fresh for the 2024 college football season, especially on the Texas campus.There’s a new conference ...
College Football Playoff: Conferences solve their differences (for now) and agree on general framework for 2026 and beyond
The FBS conferences and Notre Dame agreed on Friday to continue the College Football Playoff beyond the 2025 season, signing ...
Ball security, leadership key as Aztecs look to identify starting quarterback
San Diego State seemingly auditions a new starting quarterback on an annual basis.In the past 12 years, the Aztecs have opened ...
Results and more: A look at what happened at Penn State football’s Pro Day inside Holuba Hall
Most of those at Penn State’s Pro Day Friday were relatively quiet throughout the afternoon’s workouts, but there was one ...
Defense dominates first two weeks of Oregon State spring practice as Beavers ready for 2-week breather
CORVALLIS – Oregon State hit the break of spring practices Saturday, not exactly the midpoint but a good place to assess ...
Dillon Gabriel to have similar input, autonomy as Bo Nix had in Oregon’s offense
Published Mar. 16, 2024, 6:26 p.m.By James CrepeaEUGENE — Dillon Gabriel will have much of the same autonomy as Bo Nix did ...
Two transfers, one underclassman who impressed in Missouri football's spring game
With that, spring camp’s a wrap.Missouri football held its Black & Gold spring game Saturday in front of a healthy crowd ...