Six years ago, during the Seahawks' second preseason game, in Denver, rookie wide receiver Jermaine Kearse chatted in the huddle during a break in the action. No big deal for Kearse, who likes to keep things light in these moments.

But quarterback Russell Wilson, a fellow rookie, became annoyed when he entered the huddle, tried to start talking, and heard Kearse. Wilson looked directly at Kearse.

"Shut the [expletive] up," Wilson told Kearse.

Kearse immediately went quiet. So did the rest of the huddle. With those four words, the rookie quarterback had the group's respect.

"He demanded the attention, and he got it," Kearse told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday.

Kearse recently relayed that story to rookie quarterback Sam Darnold, who sits next to Kearse in the Jets' locker room. Kearse, a mature veteran, regularly talks with Darnold, a laid-back 21-year-old, about being more assertive in the huddle and taking ownership of the offense. It doesn't come as naturally to Darnold as it did to Wilson. So Kearse prods Darnold.

"Now I'm not saying he's got to come in here telling people to shut the [expletive] up," Kearse said. "But when you want that attention, and you want everybody's eyes on you, you've got to demand it. And people are going to respond."

This hasn't always been easy for Darnold, who will start his sixth NFL game on Sunday for the 2-3 Jets, against the Colts. Kearse described Darnold -- a Southern California kid -- as a "surfer dude, bonfire-type guy" who is "very soft spoken."

"He understands he's got to get out of his comfort zone a little bit," Kearse said. "He's continuing to grow each week. You see him trying.

"I sit here and I talk to him every day about commanding the huddle. I told him it's his offense. It's not [coordinator Jeremy] Bates' offense. It's not [coach Todd] Bowles' offense. It's his offense. So whatever he wants, he's got to demand that."

For example, Kearse said, "If the huddle is looking sloppy or people aren't splitting right [in the formation], tidy that [expletive] up."

Kearse saw a significant leap with Darnold's command of the huddle in last Sunday's win over the Broncos. Right tackle Brandon Shell agreed.

"Big difference," Shell told NJ Advance Media. "He was confident with his play calls. He was just more confident. Him having that confidence helps out everybody."

Kearse spoke to Darnold about this very thing early last week.

"He's understanding it and he's getting it, and I think guys are really responding well to it," Kearse said. "When we first got in there, he kind of struggled with calling the plays. I do feel like there has been a big jump. Not even the playing part of football. More so the mental part."

A quarterback's demeanor is critical. It spreads throughout a huddle.

"If you're in there and you're kind of timid, then guys can sense that," center Spencer Long told NJ Advance Media. "But he's not."

Though Kearse has always wanted Darnold to "be more assertive in his play calling," he understood it would take time in the Jets' offensive scheme, with its verbose play calls.

"I mean, [expletive], the West Coast offense has some long-ass plays," Kearse said. "Anybody would kind of struggle with them. He's taking more command of the huddle now.

"Just because you're a rookie doesn't mean you have to act like a rookie. You're the No. 3 overall pick and you're the starting quarterback. You have the ability to do what you want, in a sense. If you speak up, and you want certain things, nobody is going to question it. And if people question it, I'll say something."

Kearse, having seen Wilson's success firsthand, knows how much that type of assertive demeanor could help Darnold's development.

"It'll help him grow as a man and as a quarterback in this league," Kearse said. "He's getting it and he's continuing to get better at it each day. He's being more vocal. He's understanding that he's the leader. We're looking at him to lead us when we're out there on the field."

Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.