SANTA CLARA, CA — The ghosts are gone. Sam Darnold isn’t seeing them anymore; he’s burying them. As the Seattle Seahawks prepare to face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium, the narrative isn’t about a scrappy underdog story. It’s about a full-scale resurrection.
Darnold, once the face of New York Jets dysfunction, now commands the NFC’s most explosive offense. But he isn’t the only refugee from MetLife Stadium seeking a ring this weekend. Defensive anchor Leonard Williams has quietly become the heartbeat of a Seahawks defense that wrecked the NFC West, and he credits a specific voice from his rookie year for saving his career before it even started.
From ‘Bust’ to BOSS
New York media chewed them up. Seattle spat them out as champions. The parallel paths of Darnold and Williams are impossible to ignore.
Williams, the sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft, entered the league with massive expectations and zero direction. The Jets went 10-6 that year—their last winning season—but the internal pressure on a young rookie was suffocating. Williams admits he almost drowned in the noise of the NYC market.
His lifeline? Demario Davis.
The Mentor Who Changed Everything
During a crowded media session Tuesday, Williams ignored questions about the Patriots’ offensive line to shine a light on his past. When asked who helped him navigate the chaos of being a top draft pick in New York, Williams didn’t hesitate.
“Demario Davis. At the time I was really young and it was hard for me to find my place in this career. Especially in New York where the media was—it was a lot. [Davis] was really strong in his faith and a really grounded man and I think he really helped me calm down as a rookie.” — Leonard Williams, Seahawks Defensive Lineman
Davis, now a Saints legend, was in his fourth season with the Jets when Williams arrived. While the roster eventually crumbled, the lessons stuck. Williams learned to filter out the “lifestyle” distractions that derail so many Metro-area athletes. Eleven seasons later, that mental toughness is the reason he’s anchoring a Seahawks defensive front that allowed the fewest rush yards in the league this season.
The Sunday Showdown
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Seattle looks to capture its second Lombardi Trophy, while the Patriots aim to spoil the party. But the X-factor isn’t just Darnold’s arm—it’s the trenches.
Williams and the Seahawks’ front seven must dismantle a New England run game that powered them through the AFC playoffs. If Williams can generate interior pressure, he forces the Patriots into the air—right where Seattle’s secondary eats. For Darnold, it’s a chance to rewrite his legacy against the very franchise that haunted his nightmares during his Jets tenure.
The “busts” are back. And this time, they’re the ones doing the haunting.
