SANTA CLARA – Brock Purdy broke his offseason silence this week, but not to speak on his contract negotiations with the 49ers nor to bemoan roster changes that swept nine starters and 18 players onto other teams.
Purdy blended talk about his spiritual faith and unique football path during an hour-plus chat on the “Built 4 More” podcast, hosted by quarterback trainer Denny Thompson and Jacksonville-based pastor Joby Martin.
Purdy’s humble nature poured out through the discussion, starting with how in awe he initially was as a 2022 rookie upon meeting 49ers stars Deebo Samuel and Trent Williams.
Here is a collection of Purdy’s podcast audibles:
49ERS QB LEGACY
“The wisdom (Steve Young) gave me out of (an earlier 49ers) podcast was in terms of handling the offense and processing. He’s like, ‘That’s the ‘It’ factor. It’s not anything else. If you can continue to push yourself with processing plays and defenses and all that kind of stuff mentally, because that’s what separated all of us from Joe and Me and all the guys.’ So, an awesome guy.
“Joe (Montana), I met him on the field before the Chiefs in a regular season game, and I was starstruck. I just couldn’t even believe that was Joe Montana. My dad grew up watching this guy and all the Super Bowls he brought to San Francisco. But a very humble guy, not about himself. Both of those guys are tremendous.
“It’s tough, dude, being in the shoes that I am in now and the pressure from the guys having brought championships back to San Francisco. Not comparing myself to their style of play but like what they did for the city and everything, that’s more of the pressure I feel.
“But at the same time, it goes back to ‘comparisons kill.’ I can’t just look at myself and wish I had what they had. God is writing my story a certain way and I’m going to continue to just worship him within that.”
WIDE RECEIVER RICKY PEARSALL
“This rookie last year, Ricky Pearsall, a receiver from Florida, this dude went through so much adversity early on. But anytime he was on the field with us at practice, he’d come up to me and just wouldn’t shut up. ‘Brock, dude, I’m going to take this many steps here, break out. You can trust me. I love that. For me, dude, in the heat of the moment, I need a guy that I can trust and this guy wants to get on the same page with me. So after practice, he’s running routes, I’m throwing to him, then at the end of game, we’re hitting it on third down and converting. That’s what it takes time and time again.”
FAVORITE PART ABOUT BEING QB
“Honestly, just where everybody comes from and then having to be the guy to sort of get guys together, then ‘Let’s go accomplish this thing, watch how cool it will be at the end.’ Every year, especially in the NFL, there’s just so much turnover and stuff. With free agency, guys leave; you’re drafting rookies; you’ve got another free agent or two joining.
“It’s like, ‘How can we take this group of guys every year who don’t know each other and you’ve got to find a way to love each other and go accomplish this thing. So being a quarterback and doing that, to me, is like what it’s all about.
“It’s the fine line of ‘Hey I love you, and it’s good to know you, but there’s a standard and we have to work together. It’s not going to be easy but once you get to the top and look back, it’s like, ‘wow that was tough but it’s a pretty beautiful thing we get to accomplish together. Then you erase all that and do it all over again.
THE 2024 SEASON
“Last year especially in the offseason, it was what could have been. In our eyes we were a couple of plays away and you give him a chance at the end and in overtime and did what everybody expects Pat Mahomes to do: score. Nothing but respect for him and the way he’s led Kansas City. That game in general, there are a lot of moments I go back and watch film, and it hurts. ‘I could have done this or that.’
“But you go through these things and you want everything to be so perfect, but I think God just teaches you so much more when you go through tough things, when everything is not perfect, whether it’s arm surgery, losing the Super Bowl, or just something in life, being able to get through it knowing God got you through and what is he trying to teach you through that.
“Obviously I want to win a Super Bowl. I want to win many for San Francisco and the teams I play for.”
SUPER BOWL LVIII
“The game, since you’re not at a home site and it’s a neutral site and they’re people that are just fans of the game is sort of quiet. As a player, it’s weird. It’s quiet when you’re out there. Third downs and high pressure situations, it got a little loud. But outside of that, it was one of the more quieter games I’ve ever played in.
“As a rookie I came in, we were one game away. My sophomore year, boom, we go to the Super Bowl, so I was spoiled. Last year, I found out the tough way, dude this isn’t given every year. We need to make the playoffs and things can happen.
“After that (Super Bowl), seeing guys that were crushed – Juice, Kittle, Christian, Aiyuk, Trent, Fred, all these guys – they all get how tough this thing is.
“Going into the game, I was a little bit spoiled, thinking we got here, it wasn’t easy but I got here my second year. All these other dudes were all, ‘No, no, no. You’ve got to be grateful for it and go make the most of every play. Because there’s no promise of ever getting back here. I’m still trying to process it all.”
LIFE CHANGES WITH FAME
“It’s tough. You can’t get back to everybody all the time. Since getting married, it’s about Jenna and us, our relationship and our marriage. From there it’s like, ‘OK how can we love everybody in our life? It’s been tough, I’m not going to lie.
“I put that like it’s a burden on my shoulders, because I don’t want to change because of the spotlight or platform. I’m still the same kid from Queen Creek, Arizona and I’m prideful about that, in terms of being the same kid with the same heart, same classmate and teammate growing up all those year. So that hurts when I’m not able to get back to everybody.
“Just planning when Jenna and I go out, whether it’s vacations or dinners, it’s just slightly different. You have to do a little more planning and mapping out for our privacy’s sake and have intentional one-on-one time.
“When we first got married, we went to a Target fgor grocery shopping and people just started taking pictures and we’re on TikTok and all the people at the store were asking for pictures. And she started crying. She’s like, ‘This is tough. You know we’re not able to do normal life things.’ And it is tough and we’ve had to learn that, we’re still learning that.”
QB COMPARISONS
“There’s the trap of comparing myself to the guys that have come before and played in Kyle’s offense, or quarterbacks around the league. I get caught up in, ‘OK well this guy’s had success this way, and this guy’s had success that way. Should I be doing it like that?’ Or is it, ‘Hey not like this is how God’s used me in my whole life. Don’t compare. Just be who he’s created me to be and flip it up to him.’ That’s how I’ve looked at it.
“… There’s been times you know these (other NFL quarterbacks) are doing this (off the field) and you hear stories of these legendary quarterbacks doing certain things, which is great and it worked for them. But the guys who know who they are and how God created them and they live that out and just attack being the best version of themselves with that, those are the guys that have the success.
“I’ll catch myself trying to be like somebody else. It comes down to: God’s created me a certain way. I’m not 6-5, 6-4. I’m this shorter quarterback, but the way I process things, the way I lead guys in the locker room, the way I live my life and who I am, and directing everything I do back toward God, that’s who he created me to be. I’m running with that now and I just want to be the best version that I can be every single day.”
NEW 49ERS BACKUP MAC JONES
(On 2017 recruiting trip to Alabama): The whole offer thing there was weird. They’re like yeah, come here, you’ve got an offer, then at the end, they’re all, ‘We don’t know if we have another spot. My dad and brother were big Alabama fans. Mac was my host and took us around. He’s hilarious.”
(On offseason workouts in Jacksonville): “He can sling it. It’s funny, we’ll be throwing routes on air or whatever in offseason training, and he’s just got this good, big personality, and we’ll sometimes get a little bored and he’ll go out in front of a receiver like a DB and try to guard him. I’m like, ‘Dude, I love this guy.’ ”
POCKET VISION AT 6-FOOT-1
“My quarterback coach the last couple of years, Brian Griese, he and I talked about that. He played 11 years; his dad is Bob Griese.
“We got to talking about how really it’s 60/40. You can see about 60% of the time and the other 40% you really can’t. It doesn’t matter how big you are. I’m already short in stature, yes, but he said that’s why it’s so important when it comes down to knowing coverages, knowing scheme, where our players are supposed to be, how many steps they’re breaking and where the ball should be over a certain ‘backer. All those things, it matters.
“If you got to a combine and all those things, you’re just throwing on air, and yeah you look all good with a strong arm and fast, jumping, all that stuff. But when it comes down to 11-on-11 and you’ve got guys that are a foot taller and you can’t see, it comes down to the processing.
“Like before the play, I know safety is going to rotate down, it’s going to be one (high) safety and I’ve got one hitch, no more than that to rip it where Deebo’s supposed to be, just inside the hash, and there’s a backer that’s also got a 40-inch vertical I have to put it over.”