USC pairs Sam Darnold's Super Bowl win with Neil Armstrong's moon landing originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
USC Athletics found a creative way to celebrate its place in sports and space history after Sam Darnold guided the Seattle Seahawks to a 29-13 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60.
Darnold, playing through an oblique injury, threw efficiently and managed the game as Seattle pulled away in the second half Sunday in Santa Clara, securing the first Super Bowl title by a quarterback who started his college career at USC.
The former third overall pick hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after a winding NFL journey that included stops with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Minnesota Vikings before landing in Seattle.
And not just any astronaut…
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) February 10, 2026
(h/t @AdamSpencer4) pic.twitter.com/pt5NwP1CKm
After the win, USC posted a graphic on X touting to be one of just 25 schools to claim both a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and an astronaut. Neil Armstrong earned his master’s degree at USC and became the first person to walk on the moon in 1969. A rare crossover from athletic and scientific achievement.
More: Lindsey Vonn's next possible career move after Olympics crash
For Darnold and USC, the moment shows a legacy that now stretches from the Coliseum to the moon and to the top of the NFL.
More college football news:
- Deion Sanders buyout, contract details as Colorado Buffaloes coach
- Jimmy Kimmel roasts Bill Belichick’s girlfriend over Hall of Fame debate
- Ex-Indiana QB fires back after portrayal in CBS 60 Minutes interview
- Skip Holtz provides update on his father's condition
- Jason Whitlock slams Shedeur Sanders says 'NFL's Jake Paul' didn't earn Pro Bowl