Quick look: Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins will face off in Super Bowl LX after both attending Orange County schools growing up.
Two Orange County natives are headed to football’s biggest stage, despite playing for teams on opposite sides of the country.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold and New England Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins will represent Orange County in Super Bowl LX, with ties to Dana Point, Anaheim and Buena Park.
Darnold graduated from San Clemente High School in 2015, while Hawkins attended Hansen Elementary School in the Savanna School District before graduating from Buena Park High School in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District.
Born in Dana Point, Darnold was a multisport athlete at San Clemente High School, starring on both the football field and basketball court. Though now known as a franchise quarterback, Darnold spent his freshman and sophomore years playing linebacker and receiver.
His path to quarterback wasn’t immediate. Darnold was thrust into the starting role only after the team’s starting quarterback was injured. A foot injury limited much of his junior season, leaving his senior year as his lone full season as a starting quarterback.
Despite the limited game tape, it was enough to earn Darnold a scholarship to the University of Southern California. He went on to lead the Trojans to a Rose Bowl victory in 2017 and was selected third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Through it all, Darnold has remained closely tied to his Orange County roots. He still lives in Dana Point during the offseason and actively supports the Irvine-based Jessie Rees Foundation, a cancer support organization. Each year, Darnold wears custom cleats for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats initiative featuring the foundation’s motto, “NEGU” — never ever give up.
On the other side of the field, Hawkins emerged as a standout at Buena Park High School, where he played both wide receiver and defensive back. It wasn’t until his collegiate career at the University of California, Berkeley that he transitioned to safety — the position he now plays for the Patriots.
At Berkeley, Hawkins earned an “iron man” reputation, becoming the only Golden Bear to appear in every game from 2016 to 2019 — a streak spanning 50 consecutive games. He was later selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2023, Hawkins joined the Los Angeles Chargers, and during his time with the team, gave back to the Savanna School District. Hawkins took a group of students on a Christmas shopping spree, gifting each $300 to shop for themselves and their families, according to district officials. Joined by his parents, friends and Chargers representatives, the event created core memories for students from the same district where his own journey began.
From Friday night lights to the biggest lights of all, Darnold and Hawkins’ journeys have come full circle.