Inspiration
Abraham Lincoln once said, "
I will prepare and some day my chance will come." Brock Purdy is living this out in real-time. Coming out of Iowa State University, Purdy was the final player selected in the 2022 NFL draft, a position dubbed "Mr. Irrelevant." As the third string quarterback on the 49ers, the chances of playing time seemed slim. After injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppalo, however, he was thrust into the starting role, becoming the first Mr. Irrelevant to start and win a game at quarterback. Some might be surprised that he's led the team to seven consecutive wins, especially those who
evaluated him as "average, lacking the desired size, arm strength, accuracy, or mobility" coming into the draft. One club simply said, "No Interest." Those who know him, however, are not surprised. His teammates have
highlighted his work ethic and willingness to help out. Prior to seeing action on the field, he helped Christian McCaffrey learn
the play book following his mid-season trade to the 'Niners. Matt Campbell, Purdy's head coach at Iowa State said, "I think his greatest toughness is his mental toughness." Purdy manages his
self-talk, stays humble, and tries to be a great teammate. He doesn't fear taking a risk, because he doesn't let the highs get too high or the lows get too low. "Man, just throwing fear out the window and just going and play. Like, I don't know if I would've ever had an opportunity
again to play in the NFL, you know, depending on how it goes. So, it's
like you go out there, you prepare as best as you can, you get better
every single day at practice. And once you get your opportunity, man,
it's what are you going to do with it?" Abraham Lincoln would approve.