‘These last couple days have been really fun’: Sam Darnold shares life after the Super Bowl at Seattle’s Raising Cane’s

Fresh off Seattle’s Super Bowl win, Sam Darnold “clocked in” at Raising Cane’s in the University District ahead of its opening date.

The Seahawks star opened up about his love for Seattle, his favorite cheat meal, that viral bird app moment, and what life’s been like since the Super Bowl.

“These last couple of days have been really fun. Being able to go to Disneyland, I’ve always dreamt of doing that. Being able to come to Raising Cane’s with all the fans, it’s been great,” he said. “I think the best thing is being able to spend time with my teammates after that win, and just be able to talk about the memories we’ve all had this season, all the hard work that we’ve put in, and how it really came to fruition for us in the end.”

Darnold noted that having a strong support system has made all the difference.

“I’ve dealt with a lot, whether it’s in football and in life. I think having great friends, a great family to have my back throughout that whole process, definitely helps,” he said.

‘I wake up every day excited to go to work’: Sam Darnold on staying grounded

He added that keeping perspective has helped him stay grounded.

“There’s a lot of guys in our locker room that have gone through a lot this year — whether they have had negative stuff on the field or off the field — everyone is going through something, and at the end of the day, I think realizing that and having that perspective has always been huge for me,” Darnold said.

“Life could always be worse. I get to play quarterback in the NFL,” he continued. “That’s always been the way I’ve looked at it. It’s such a blessing to be able to do this, and I wake up every day excited to go to work.”

Seattle’s hardworking spirit reminds Darnold of home

Darnold’s connection to Seattle goes beyond football, as the city’s hardworking spirit reminds him of home.

“I think Seattle is a very hardworking community; a hard-working city, very blue-collar, it seems like. That’s the way I was raised, my dad’s a plumber, my mom was a middle school P.E. teacher for a while, close to 30 years. That’s how I grew up, so I can really resonate with a lot of the hard work that people do in this city,” he said. “You can tell by the way they cheer for us. They care so much about our team and everything we stand for. We try to put our best foot forward, and we try to put the best product out there on the field for the fans, and I’m just glad we got to live up to it this year.”

That sense of community is part of what drew Darnold to Raising Cane’s.

“First of all, I love the food, I love Raising Cane’s. It is my cheat meal on the weekends,” he said. “It’s also just a great thing that they do for the community. I’m very well aware that everyone at Raising Cane’s does a great job in the community. That was just another reason why this opportunity just called my name. It’s such a great opportunity to be with this brand, and a great opportunity to spend some time with the fans.”

Darnold says bird app is ‘getting out of control’

And yes, Darnold talked about the viral bird app.

“This whole bird thing is getting out of control. I was literally bored in my backyard one day, and found this app and started recording the bird sound, and I was like, ‘Oh, this is pretty cool.’ Then my fricking fiancée decides to post it on her Instagram, and now it’s blown up,” he said.

“It’s awesome,” he added. “I’m not obsessed with birds. I know a lot of bird fans hate to hear that, but when I’m bored in the off-season, and a bird makes a noise, I have an app that can tell me what bird it is, and I think that’s pretty cool.”

Seattle’s first Raising Cane’s is set to open Tuesday, Feb. 17.

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