USC's First QB To Start A Super Bowl

Por #USCBHM | USC Athletics Black History Month Keely Eure, Director of Creative Content & Team Reporter

06 de February de 2026

When quarterback Sam Darnold takes the field on Super Bowl Sunday, he’ll add his name to a prestigious list of Trojans who have reached the NFL’s biggest stage.

While Darnold’s start in the big game is historic in its own right, the headlines have it wrong. He technically won’t be the first USC quarterback to start in a Super Bowl.

That distinction belongs to Willie Wood.

Wood, a former USC quarterback and defensive back, became the first to do so when he took the field for the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl II under legendary coach Vince Lombardi. The twist is that he didn’t start under center. Wood started at safety, carving out one of the most impressive defensive careers in NFL history.

Before he became a key piece in Lombardi’s dynasty in Green Bay, Wood was already breaking barriers at USC. A three-year letterman from 1957 to 1959, he was the first African-American quarterback in the Pacific Coast Conference, now known as the Pac-12. Wood played during college football’s one-platoon era, when substitution rules often required athletes to play both offense and defense. As a senior captain, he led the Trojans in interceptions and pass deflections.

Despite his talent and versatility, Wood ultimately went undrafted out of college. He refused to accept the outcome, however, and wrote to NFL teams asking for a chance.

Only one coach responded: Vince Lombardi.

The head coach invited Wood to Packers training camp in 1960, but the organization evaluated him primarily as a safety instead of a quarterback. He began at the very bottom of the depth chart, but eventually earned a roster spot as a backup safety and punt returner. After just one year with the team, Wood earned a starting spot and never relinquished the role.

Wood’s NFL career spanned from 1960 to 1971 with Green Bay, during which he became a vital contributor to all five of Lombardi’s championship teams. In Super Bowl I, the safety’s interception proved to be a turning point in the contest - one that Lombardi described as the “steal of the game.” To this day, Wood ranks No. 2 on the Packers’ all-time interceptions list and still holds the NFL record for most consecutive starts by a safety.

His accomplishments don’t stop there. Wood became a five-time First-Team All-Pro and an eight-time Pro Bowler. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989, becoming one of only 22 undrafted players ever to earn that honor.

Wood’s legacy and impact continued even when his playing career ended. In 1975, he became the first African-American head coach in the modern era of professional football when he led the World Football League’s Philadelphia Bell. Later, he also became the first African-American head coach in CFL history, leading the Toronto Argonauts in 1980 and 1981.

As USC celebrates Black History Month, Willie Wood’s story is a reminder that Trojan excellence has long shaped football’s biggest moments - even in ways the casual fan might not expect. And as Sam Darnold prepares for his own moment in the Super Bowl spotlight, he does so following a path that Willie Wood helped pave decades ago.