QB Brock Purdy Press Conference

QB Brock Purdy

Press Conference – January 5, 2023

San Francisco 49ers

Head coach Kyle Shanahan was saying yesterday he hands out far more criticisms than compliments when it comes to reviewing games. Probably with all players, but quarterbacks and he basically said you have thick skin, which he appreciates. Have you always taken to hard coaching or is there some origin story of how you developed tough skin?

“Yeah, I don’t know. Just all throughout my career of playing football, I’ve always wanted the truth and honesty from a coach, from the guy who’s trusting in me to go out and play. And that started since I was little playing ball, so yeah, I’ve always appreciated a coach who’s just real with me with what I need to get better at or what I need to do to be better. In terms of a coach telling you everything’s all good, I’m not about that. You can’t get better from that, so when coach is real with me about this past game or any other games that I’ve played in, I appreciate that more than telling me that I’m good and I don’t need to work on anything, so I think just all throughout my career I’ve sort of developed that kind of mentality.”

You talked Sunday about being particularly hard on yourself and always looking at the little things that you do. Was that something that started when you were very young as well or how did that develop?

“Yeah, same thing. I think my dad had a lot to do with it too. He played baseball in the minors for numerous amounts of years and played at [the University of] Miami, so he’s been through some good stuff in terms of playing and how to get better and all that kind of thing, so I definitely learned from him in terms of being real with where I’m at with my performances. And he was always straight up with me growing up about what I need to do better, what I’m doing well and that I can continue to do, so I feel like that’s sort of where it has come from. It’s something that I’ve always had and I’m not planning on changing anytime soon.”

Do you feel like you know what Kyle’s going to say to you before he says it?

“Yeah, I feel like I do. There’s plays where I’m out in the field and if I miss a read or whatever and something happens, literally right in the moment I’m like, man, I know that I should have done this or that and I can sort of anticipate him saying, ‘Hey, we have to do this and that,’ or ‘You missed this’, which I appreciate and I’m on the same page with him, so I totally see what he says in terms of how I can get better. Same with [quarterbacks] coach [Brian] Griese and everyone, so I’m never a guy who has my wall up and you can’t tell me anything like I have to learn it on my own. I definitely love hearing feedback from my coaches.”

It was a tie game with like six minutes left, you were down around the 10-yard line. I just wanted to ask you about two plays and were these examples of you kind of immediately knew, alright, Kyle is going to mention this. The first down where TE Tyler Kroft became open and you threw to WR Brandon Aiyuk and then the third down, should you have tried to out hold the guy who was covering WR Jauan Jennings? Did you not hold him long enough when on the throw to TE George Kittle?

“I would say the one to Kroft, yes, I rolled out I was trying to hold the defender with my eyes and then come back to hit B.A. on that shallow, obviously Kroft was there. In the moment, I was just trying to make a play to B.A., but right as I threw it, I look back and I see Kroft and I’m like, man, I already know that’s going to be one of the plays and it was. I’m real with myself about that kind of thing. I told Kroft, I said, ‘dude, I owe you one.’ It’s not like I have some kind of excuse of why I didn’t do it. Like I have to be better. I have to keep my eyes down the field and see that. On the third down to George, yeah, I feel like I could have got the ball out quicker and also, if that’s not there, continue to go throughout my progression and you know hit B.A. on the backside of that, so there’s little things like that where I’m real with myself. I tell the coaches how I feel in the moment, like, this is what I thought, this is how I reacted, but when you watch the film, you see what’s real. I’m real with that. They’re real with that and I appreciate them telling me the right feedback.”

You mentioned your dad playing the minors. Was it ever a thing with your family that he played in the Giants organization and now here you are with the 49ers?

“Yeah, it’s part of his story and where he played, so he knows some of the guys that ended up going to the big leagues for the San Francisco Giants. He has some people that he knows and connections, but it’s cool to see that I ended up here in terms of the organization that he played for too in his career, so little things like that I feel like you can appreciate as a family.”

What was your baseball background?

“I played baseball all the way up until my sophomore year in high school. My junior and senior, I didn’t.”

Do you attribute that to arm angles and sometimes when you have to throw a pass from your side?

“Yeah, 100%. Yeah, I played middle infield growing up and then towards the end, I played third base and I pitched, but the arm angles, having a base as a thrower, all that kind of stuff, definitely I feel like it helped me to be where I’m at now, especially with like quick game and throwing around defensive ends, so that’s definitely a credit to baseball.”

Shortstop or second base?

“Both. Played both, yeah.”

Did you stop to focus on quarterback?

“Yeah, I was at a high school where in Arizona, you play baseball year-round. I feel like there’s a lot of guys that were getting really good and I was decent and pretty good, but I feel like football was more of my calling, so my junior and senior year for recruiting in college, I feel like I had sort of had to focus on that.”

Among other things RB Christian McCaffrey is just piling up first downs like crazy. I know you were just in the game, but at some point, are you thinking, man, every time I get the ball to this guy it’s a first down?

“Yeah, I feel like I always know in the back of my head, he’s always got a chance, so all I have to do is get him the ball if the play’s design for him or if something’s not there and he is the check down, it’s a pretty good check down to have, so he makes plays. He’s very reliable, everyone trusts him, he’s always where he needs to be. I feel like the dude doesn’t mess up and I definitely love having him.”

Do you ever have to manage your perfectionism? Is it possible to be too hard on yourself?

“Yeah, I feel like in college, after I took over, I think I was going into my junior year, I feel like I was really hard on myself in terms of like wanting to be perfect, wanting to be a great leader, and when I messed up on the field, I was so hard on myself that I feel like it almost became detrimental to my game, so learning that in terms of letting things go, learn from them, but you have to play the next play and have that kind of mentality of whatever’s next, I have to have a clean slate and a clear mind in what I’m doing. I feel like I’m still learning as we go, I’m just a rookie and still learning every day.”

What are your feelings about facing Arizona Cardinals DL J.J. Watt and making sure you’re not the last quarterback he sacks?

“Yeah, I definitely respect him with everything that he’s done in his career. My mentality for this game is I have to go in and just do my job, do what the coach is asking of me. I’m not trying to think of anything outside of that or make it more than what it is, but he’s definitely a factor in the game and we have to do our part to make sure that we just put up points, get first downs and not have to worry about J.J.”

Any thoughts this week about playing against the team that you grew up watching and went to games and is that surreal for you?

“Yeah, I think it’s really cool. I went to a number of games growing up and yeah, they’re my home state team and to be able to go up against them I think is pretty cool. A lot of our family and friends from where we’re from are all Cardinal fans, so it is pretty cool, surreal, but at the same time, I’m at the point in my life where I am where I am and it’s another team that I have to go up against and I’m not trying to make it more than what it is, so I’m definitely thankful to be where I’m at, but it is another game.”