Former Iowa State star Brock Purdy relished his return "home" last weekend
Purdy's gone from being "Mr. Irrelevant" because of being picked by the San Francisco 49ers with the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft to being a bona fide star
AMES — Charlie Kolar knew.
Iowa State’s two-time All-American tight end gushed about his quarterback, Brock Purdy’s, performance at the program’s Pro Day in 2022 — and his words seem remarkably prescient now.
“Brock looked so good,” said Kolar, who would be selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. “The ball was flying out of his arm. He was on point. It looked like he was moving well in the pocket. I mean, I think he’s gonna have a chance to play for a long time.”
But Purdy — who returned to run his first youth camp on the Iowa State campus last weekend — was the 49ers No. 3 quarterback as a rookie. That also-ran status changed when injuries sidelined the No. 1 and No. 2 guys, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garappolo, and fate took a hand for Purdy. He went on to win six consecutive starts before being knocked out of the NFC Championship game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but picked up right where he left off last season, guiding the 49ers to the Super Bowl despite undergoing UCL surgery in the offseason.
Purdy didn’t want to talk about his meteoric rise in the league, however, when he spoke for a few minutes in a pre-camp media scrum last week. Instead, he wanted to talk about being back “home.”
“Just the people, man,” said Purdy, who earned a Pro Bowl berth last season. “Come back here, it’s such a hometown feel. It’s a college town, but you see everybody again, and everyone’s just thriving, and everyone just loves each other and they help each other out — and they helped me understand who I am as a person in this life.
“I mean, those are crucial years, from high school to college in terms of understanding what you believe and what you want to do with life. I found that here, so it’s always nice to come back.”
Purdy helped out about 650 campers ages nine-to-15 as more than a thousand parents and curious onlookers watched. He said leading the camp caused him to get “choked up” as his tradmark humility too center stage. Purdy’s the antithesis of a prima donna — and fame hasn’t changed that. If anything, it’s strengthened his character and deepened his gratitude in advance of his third season in the NFL.
“They’ve followed me and they still have my back,” Purdy said of his youngest Cyclone fans. “For them to grow up and see me playing on the field, that could be them one day. So, for me, I get choked up when I see it. It’s special.”
NOTE: I wrote an article that day for both the Cedar Rapids Gazette and Cyclone Fanatic. Find it here and here.
Also, I’m SO PROUD (nod to Paul Rhoads) to be a member of the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative. Please peruse the roster here and subscribe (free and or/paid) to these talented writers and artists.