After Darnold’s statement about “seeing ghost,” some people made fun of him, while others started to question, “Does Sam Darnold have schizophrenia? Is Sam suffering from a mental illness?” On national television, Sam Darnold mistakenly revealed that he was “seeing ghosts” on the field. This one statement by Sam stirred up a storm on the internet. Samuel Richard Darnold, born on June 5, 1997, in Dana Point, California, is a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) who is presently with the San Francisco 49ers. He was chosen third overall by the New York Jets in the 2018 NFL Draft. He became the NFL’s youngest opening-day starting quarterback since the AFL-NFL merger at the age of 21. He received the Archie Griffin Award as the first freshman at the University of Southern California and was named Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2016 and First-Team All-Pac-12 in 2017.
Is Sam Darnold Suffering From Schizophrenia?
Many football fans are concerned about Samuel Darnold’s mental health and continuously speculate on whether he has schizophrenia. The topic of schizophrenia arose when Sam mentioned seeing ghosts on the field. Darnold had his worst game as a pro, with five giveaways, and hurried to the bench after his third error in the second quarter, exclaiming, “I’m seeing ghosts.” This video quickly went viral.
Moreover, many felt he fabricated the reason to get out of that situation. Also, after the game, the crowd mentioned that he handled it well, telling the media that he always tries to be honest with his coaches. He also informed the press that he needs to “see the field a lot better” to take on New England’s blitz-heavy defense.
“That’s what it is. Even worse has occurred to me. But, on the other hand, it’s a shame that it was live. It’s a far more popular term than it’s given credit for.” Sam said.
So, based on this statement, there is no indication that he has schizophrenia. Therefore, it would be presumptuous to assume that he is suffering from a mental illness solely based on this statement.
Sam Darnold Affected with Kissing Disease
Sam Darnold was diagnosed with Mononucleosis, requiring a three-week break from the games. After recovering from his injury, he made his comeback against the Cowboys and delivered one of the best performances of his short career. In an ESPN interview, the quarterback revealed that he initially thought the diagnosis was a joke when head coach Adam Gase broke the news to him.
“When they told me I had mono, I burst out laughing. I assumed they were kidding. And that was certainly not a joke.” Darnold brought it up.
Furthermore, since mononucleosis is sometimes known as “the kissing disease,” the athlete assumed it was not the kind of ailment that would readily infect adults. However, it wasn’t a joke. Fortunately, Sam quickly recovered from the sickness and returned to the game. He also mentioned being ill for only three to four days but was advised by the team and coach to rest for three weeks for his safety.
