49ers rookie Brock Purdy draws strength, inspiration from family
SANTA CLARA -- When others were joking he was 'Mr. Irrelevant' and doubting his NFL future, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy's family was always there with unconditional support and words of encouragement.
So it was fitting, his father Shawn was in tears in the stands as he watched his son lead the 49ers to a 35-7 victory over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Purdy, who hopefully has heard the last of his being the final selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, completed 16-of-21 pass attempts for 185 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for a 3rd score.
More importantly, he stood up to the Bucs pass rush and his only turnover was negated by a penalty.
After handling some post-game, on-field media duties, Purdy jogged across the Levi's Stadium turf, located his family, was hugged and congratulated and posed for a selfie.
In a post-game interview, Purdy was quick to credit the role his family has played.
"I saw them right after the game and, you know, the emotions on their face and just the way they look down at me from up on the railing, it just means a lot because just throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general, high school and college, they're the people at home that just believe in you and they always see the best in you," he said.
"And so, they've believed in me even though I was the last draft pick and all that kind of stuff. They've always been telling me you're good enough and we know that you can do it. And so, to see them after that performance meant a lot to me and so very blessed to have them as my family."
Head Coach Kyle Shanahan nearly ran out of superlatives when talking about Purdy's performance.
"I think he did an awesome job," Shanahan told reporters. "I think all you guys saw that, but he made a ton of plays. Made the plays that were there, made some plays that weren't there. He did a great job in the pocket. Had one mistake there, he was fortunate that we got that one back. He didn't hesitate. I think he threw a touchdown the next play, which was really cool, but it's really impressive how he played and I thought it was similar to the week before."
At point in the first half, the soldout home crowd began chanting "Purdy, Purdy, Purdy!"
"That was wild to hear the whole stadium saying it like that," he said. "We've got some great fans out here, man. They love this team and they're right behind us all the way through, so very thankful for them."
