The Valley is all a buzz this week on the heels of Queen Creek native Brock Purdy leading the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC Championship win Sunday night over the Detroit Lions. Now, the NFL quarterback is heading to the Super Bowl in Las Vegas on Feb. 11.
Purdy, 24, was a standout quarterback at Chandler Unified's Perry High School in Gilbert. He set records during the 2017 high school season at Perry, earning Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year honors. He threw for 4,410 yards and 57 touchdowns with just nine interceptions, and also rushed for 1,106 yards and 10 more scores.
"All of Puma Nation is so proud of Brock! He is the type of person that is so easy to root for. Everything great that you see about him is true. While at Perry, he was kind to everyone around him and was willing to help others in the classroom, on the field, and in the community. He is doing an incredible job handling his success as we always knew he would. He is genuine and speaks from the heart. He is the perfect representation of what we hope our student-athletes will become in whatever path in life they choose," said Jennifer Burks, assistant principal and athletic director at Perry High School.
His parents, Shawn and Carrie Purdy, own their own pool business in Mesa, Fantastic Spa Outlet. After high school, Purdy ended up at Iowa State and had a record-breaking career for the Cyclones. He was given a chance there when the starting quarterback went down with an injury and the backup was ineffective.
The familiar story continued into Purdy's professional football career when two quarterbacks ahead of him on the 49ers went down over the course of his rookie season and Purdy stepped in at quarterback and never relinquished the starting nod. The winning NFL rookie year for Purdy came to a disappointing end last season after the San Francisco 49ers fell to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game. In that game, Purdy was hit hard on the elbow of his throwing arm. He had surgery on that elbow in the off season and came back this season ready to get a chance to finally make it to the Super Bowl this year.
Purdy was the last overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. He signed a four-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022 that turned out to be one of the biggest bargains in the league today as he's under contract with the 49ers until 2025 and made $870,000 this season - 16 college football players made more via NIL (in June 2021, the NCAA adopted its first NIL policy to allow collegiate athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness). Purdy will get the standard $164,000 bonus if he wins the Super Bowl.
Not just Queen Creek, but the entire East Valley has embraced Purdy's story, especially in light of teen violence dominating the news in recent months.
"What a great role model Brock Purdy is, especially with what's going on in Gilbert and Queen Creek right now with the Preston Lord case and here's a good kid from our community, is from a good family, it's something we desperately need right now. I think we can all agree our community has been in mourning with all that's been going on so this is some much needed excitement with Brock Purdy going to the Super Bowl," said Gilbert resident Kat Mills.
"It's literally the coolest thing ever for me, a California girl who has loved the 49ers since high school and moving here 10 years ago still loving my 49ers. Brock Purdy has brought so much recognition to my team," Mills continued. "I am even more excited for the Super Bowl this year, not just being a 49ers fan, but because of Brock Purdy, a local boy who has become a household name. It’s been fun to see so many people who may not have connected otherwise come together in full support of cheering him on. There are posters and banners up everywhere! He’s handled all the limelight and pressure so well, pretty amazing for being the third youngest quarterback to play in a Super Bowl."
Whatever the final outcome of this year's Super Bowl may be, many in Queen Creek are ready to cheer Purdy on next Sunday.
"I couldn't be more pleased to see Brock Purdy's success! It's insanely cool to have a kid that's known to so many in Queen Creek... and who played youth football (San Tan Youth Football League) with a bunch of our resident's kids do so well in the NFL at such a young age and so early in his pro career. I'm QC Proud of this young man," said Queen Creek Councilman Jeff Brown.
