LANDOVER, Md. -- With each completion, Sam Darnold raises the excitement level of the quarterback-starved fans who root for the New York Jets. They're giddy in Gotham, but it can't compare to the adulation in his hometown: San Clemente, California.
They might as well rename it Sam Clemente.
The coastal city of about 63,000, located midway between Los Angeles and San Diego, gives Darnold a civic embrace whenever he plays on TV. On Thursday night, One Eleven Coastal -- a restaurant that hosted a Darnold draft-night celebration -- will have a watch party for the Jets' preseason game against the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field.