Queen Creek's Purdy makes outstanding debut with 49ers
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Being Mr. Irrelevant, the last pick of the draft, if you would have asked me going into the draft, ‘Do you think that was going to be you?’ I probably would have said no. But I’m glad it all happened the way it did and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”
Queen Creek resident Brock Purdy, who was picked last in the NFL draft, thus earning the title of "Mr. Irrelevant," made a dazzling debut as starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Dec. 11.
Purdy threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in his first career start.
San Francisco beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, helmed by Tom Brady, 35-7.
The Queen Creek Independent spoke with Purdy in May as he was headed to pre-season camp. At the time, he was just hoping to make the playing squad.
Purdy didn't mind being called "Mr. Irrelevant" because it still put him closer to living out his pro-football career dream.
“From everything that my agent told me I was expecting to get drafted but I also was hearing that I might not get drafted, so I was prepared for that,” Purdy said. “Being Mr. Irrelevant, the last pick of the draft, if you would have asked me going into the draft, ‘Do you think that was going to be you?’ I probably would have said no. But I’m glad it all happened the way it did and I’m thankful for the opportunity.”
And Purdy remained hopeful.
“There are 32 teams who have one quarterback compared to other positions where you have multiple positions on the field and you have more of a shot of getting drafted,” Purdy said. “But playing quarterback, it's not easy to get drafted at that position. There are three quarterbacks right now on the [49ers] roster including myself so the situation for me is a good situation compared to other teams where there might be four or five quarterbacks and they're only taking three come season. So, I think I’m in a pretty good spot.”
Although he was born and raised in Queen Creek, he opted to attend Perry High School, located in Gilbert but part of the Chandler Unified School District.
“I wanted to go play 6A football and at the time Queen Creek High wasn't 6A,” he said.
The move paid off when he received a football scholarship from Iowa State University, where he was the starting quarterback all four years. He vividly remembers his first game as a starter.
“We were actually on the road at Oklahoma State, and they were a top 25 team, and we weren't doing so good at the time and then I came in and did very well and my team was excited about it,” Purdy said. “It was all orange because it was Oklahoma State, and every single seat was filled and they actually have these paddles that they bang against the wall when the opposing team is on the field. It’s so loud you can't even hear yourself think. So, for me to go into that kind of situation and win, it was definitely hard, but it was so enjoyable. I grew up wanting as a kid to be in those kinds of games and to win those kinds of games. So, it definitely was one of my most memorable games.”
And he’s not the only elite athlete in the family. His older sister played softball at Southeastern University in Florida. She now is a substitute teacher in the Queen Creek Unified School District. His younger brother currently is a quarterback for the University of Nebraska.
Learn more about Purdy:
Name: Brock Purdy
Age: 22
Town/neighborhood: Queen Creek
What I like most about living here: I’ve lived in Queen Creek my whole life. It was just a quiet, calm small town. I feel like a lot of people knew each other and when it came to the sports world, you know Little League Baseball or Youth Football, it was always playing against your friends from just around the area. I feel like everyone was pretty tight-knit and it’s a great community to grow up in. For me now looking forward in life I want to find another town like Queen Creek, wherever that may be, or even settle here again down the road. That's how much I love it.
What does it mean to be a Queen Creek resident? For me, it means being good people, authentic people who aren't trying to live a flashy life or all this glamour. I just feel like everyone's there for each other and for me, I take pride in that sort of blue-collar life where we work for what we get and at the end of the day we're good people that want the best for everyone else. So, I feel like that's what a true Queen Creek resident is and I take pride in that.
Changes I'd like to see in this area: The only thing I could say is it's growing really fast, and it sort of makes me sad how big it's getting, but I love it overall I’ll always love it.
Favorite community cause and why: We did proms [at Iowa State] for people with disabilities as part of like the Tim Tebow foundation. It's called “Night to Shine.” It's a night where people with disabilities can have a prom and we go and help out and support them. We did that for four years and that’s definitely something that I want to be a part of moving forward.
My family: My parents are Shawn and Carrie Purdy. My sister is Whittney and then my brother's name is Chubba. It’s a long story. Basically, when he was 1 he weighed like 38 pounds. A little bowling ball, But now he's thinned out and he's a quarterback and he doesn't look like a Chubba.
My interests and hobbies: I love the outdoors, fishing, going camping and hiking. Just to get my mind off some things and be in nature – I love it.
The trait(s) I admire in others: I love when other people are selfless, I think I’m attracted to those kinds of people in general – being around people who aren't about themselves, aren't about the prideful things in life. They love helping out other people and I love it when I surround myself with those kinds of people. It makes me better.
People who inspired me (and how): It's hard to say that there's one person that inspires me or has inspired me. I think just a collective of people. I’ve met multiple people who love to serve people, they're not about themselves. They always check in with other people and how their lives are. When I see that from multiple people, I’m like, “OK. This is the kind of person that I want to be.”
What would you say is your guiding philosophy for life: To love people how Jesus loved people. I think He lived the perfect life. He was always getting mocked at or people telling Him that He wasn't good enough but at the end of the day He still loved those people. It's easy to love people that love you but to love people that don't love you that says something. I think that's the right way to go about life.
My advice to today’s youth: Put in the work to get what you want. Nothing in life is going to be given to you for free. You have to go earn it. You have to go get. From a young age playing sports to just even doing chores with my brother around the house, you have to work for what you get and that hasn't changed even though I’m 22 going into the NFL I still have to put in work every single day to get to where I want to be and love people along the way. Not just do it out of selfish ambition but to actually from the bottom of the heart want the best for other people and to work hard.
Janet Perez News Editor | Queen Creek &
San Tan Valley @AzNewsmedia
Meet Janet Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.
Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.
Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science.
Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.
Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.
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