Brock Purdy has consistently operated in the shadows, whether as a lightly recruited high school prospect or a college quarterback with aspirations of getting drafted.
According to his high school coach, Preston Jones, the 49ers signal-caller has often been overlooked, with recruiters failing to recognize his true talent.
“[The recruiters] don’t know how to evaluate talent,” remarked Jones, sporting an impressive mustache, in a recent interview with TMZ Sports. “They don’t know what’s good, and they look at all these things like height and speed. They don’t consider winners and all the qualities [Purdy] possesses.”
Until the unexpected turns of the last season, when both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo faced setbacks, Purdy was just a 3-star prospect in the 2018 recruiting class. Apart from Iowa State, he didn’t attract much attention. Despite an outstanding four seasons with the Cyclones, where he accumulated 12,170 passing yards, 81 passing touchdowns, and broke 32 school records, Purdy wasn’t picked in the early rounds of the 2022 Draft. Instead, he became the last pick, selection 262, in the 7th and final round, earning the title of “Mr. Irrelevant.”
However, Purdy’s relevance has soared since then, and Coach Jones believes many coaches now regret overlooking him. “There’s a lot of guys that missed on him, and they’re gonna regret this one day,” Jones said. “I like to laugh at those guys now.”
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Despite the initial hurdles, Jones is thrilled with how things have unfolded for his former quarterback, whom he considers the greatest offensive player he’s ever coached. He sees it as destiny, a fitting chapter in Purdy’s life story, from being unnoticed in high school to becoming “Mr. Irrelevant” in the draft. As Purdy’s journey unfolds, Jones believes it’s a great chapter that is far from over.
With a potential win against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Purdy’s story might not just end up as a chapter but could evolve into a book or even a movie.
