FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Sam Darnold was only 2 years old when his grandfather passed away, so he never got to know the Marlboro Man.
Dick Hammer left behind a legacy of larger-than-life tales, though, and Darnold, the Jets’ newest quarterback, has heard them all. Family gatherings have been filled with the stories of Hammer’s athletic accomplishments as a college basketball player and a United States Olympian in volleyball, his bravery as a firefighter and his creative side as an actor.
“My mom always tells me how much I remind her of him,” Darnold said Friday during his introductory news conference as the No.