SAN JOSE – San Jose Sharks center Will Smith, a proud Massachusetts native, caught plenty of grief from friends for wearing a red No. 13 Brock Purdy jersey to Levi’s Stadium on Sunday when the 49ers hosted the New England Patriots.
“Yeah, I got a bunch of text messages,” Smith said Tuesday. “Not good.”
Smith, a big-time Patriots fan who lists former team star Rob Gronkowski as one of his favorite players, attended the game with fellow Sharks Macklin Celebrini, Tyler Toffoli, and Ty Dellandrea. The four sat in a suite and watched the 49ers earn a convincing 30-13 win over the rebuilding Patriots.
“It was a really cool game,” Celebrini said. “Obviously, the fans are crazy, and the Niners kind of smoked the Pats.”
So, how did Smith, who attended Boston College for a year before joining the Sharks, smooth things over with everyone back home?
“I said I was forced to,” wear the 49ers jersey, Smith said with a smile.
At one point in the game, Celebrini had a little fun with Smith, clapping and looking right at his stone-faced teammate after what was presumably a big 49ers play.
“The boys are humming.”
Listen to Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini during the @49ers win on Sunday. #BayAreaUnite pic.twitter.com/5phpoZQZRd
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) October 1, 2024
“It was kind of crazy,” Celebrini said. “He was wearing a San Fran jersey and he was probably cheering for the Pats.”
The Sharks have no shortage of ties to New England, including head coach Ryan Warsofsky, who is a North Marshfield, Massachusetts native. He said he attended Sunday’s game in a navy blue shirt.
“If there’s one thing about people from New England, they love their sports teams,” Warsofsky said.
The 49ers host the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, with kickoff at 1:05 p.m. The Sharks open their regular season on Oct. 10 at home against the St. Louis Blues.