Over the weekend, Brock Purdy received a hero's welcome from about 650 adoring young football fans. The San Francisco 49ers quarterback kicked off his inaugural Ames-based youth camp Saturday on the practice fields of his alma mater, Iowa State.
Brock Purdy getting love from the crowd at his football camp in Iowa 🙌
[via bigbird.purdy/IG] pic.twitter.com/QZpxmTQXvC
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) June 22, 2024
"Every time I come back to Ames, there's just more development, and it looks a little different," Purdy said, according to Rob Gray of The Gazette. "It's just exciting because of the growth."
For Purdy, it wasn't just the emotions of being back at Iowa State that hit him. It was seeing so many young fans in attendance.
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"Man, I appreciate every single one of you guys," Purdy told the crowd.
He added, "Man, I'm getting emotional. I'm back here, home."
Iowa State holds a special place in Purdy's heart. It's where he realized his love for football could lead to a career, making it all the more meaningful to return to Ames, a place filled with fond memories.
With a month until the 49ers report back to Santa Clara for training camp, Purdy is giving back to the community. Despite a heartbreaking Super Bowl defeat, Purdy enjoyed an impressive 2023 campaign, setting a single-season franchise record with 4,280 passing yards.
However, Purdy doesn't consider himself a finished product and knows there is still much work ahead if he wants to continue proving his doubters wrong. Much of that involves continuing to master the 49ers' offensive system.
"It's just the playbook, continuing to chip away at that, getting more familiar with it," Purdy shared. "It's like another language, like I always say, so you've got to always be in it. And then physically, just my mobility and hopefully being able to translate that to being quicker and more elusive and things like that. I can always continue to get better in that regard."
Purdy's journey to NFL stardom was unexpected. He was the last overall pick, "Mr. Irrelevant," in the 2022 NFL Draft. During his first offseason, he was fighting to earn a roster spot and was only thrust into the starting lineup due to injuries.
Working with youth makes Purdy emotional as he aims to set an example, showing them that hard work can turn dreams into reality.
"For them to grow up and see me playing on the field, that could be them one day," Purdy said. "So, for me, I get choked up when I see it. It's special."