Why Brock Purdy wore Iowa mascot head against his will

SANTA CLARA — 49ers tight end George Kittle did not allow Iowa's 20-13 victory over Iowa State to go to his head. Instead, the game's outcome meant something had to go atop quarterback Brock Purdy's cranium. The 49ers teammates attended rival schools in the Hawkeye State. Kittle, who attended Iowa, and Purdy, a product of Iowa State, had a wager on the annual intrastate football game. "Whoever lost the game had to wear the other team's mascot helmet up here," Purdy said. "So here we are." The 24th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes held on for the victory to run their record to 2-0 on the season, while Iowa State fell to 1-1. Earlier in the day, Kittle told reporters to make sure they were in attendance for Purdy's press conference. A short time later, Purdy entered the auditorium inside Levi's Stadium as the Hawkeyes mascot. Purdy navigated the steps up to the podium and made the palms-up gesture. Then, he removed the Hawkeye helmet and took questions about the 49ers' upcoming game against the Los Angeles Rams. Purdy said if the Cyclones had won the game, he would have gotten Cy the Cardinal's headgear shipped from Ames, Iowa, for Kittle. Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast This story...