QB Brock Purdy Press Conference

QB Brock Purdy

Press Conference – December 29, 2022

San Francisco 49ers

Any unique challenges that the Raiders defense provides for you guys that maybe you haven’t exactly faced so far in your first four games?
“Yeah. I think overall [Las Vegas Raiders DE] Maxx Crosby is really good on the edge, so whenever they have a player like that that you have to focus on they can do a lot of other different things that you can sometimes slip up and not be ready for in terms of what they do with their secondary and their backers and whatnot, but I think they’re talented across the board. For us, we’re just focusing on what we have to do to get better and get right for this week and work on little things and habits and details that we want to clean up. It’s going to be a really good challenge for us going into a really good environment and they got a solid team all around.”

Did a 49ers scout or personnel member make contact with you pre-draft or show interest in you pre-draft, or was getting drafted by the Niners a complete surprise?
“Yeah, I did a zoom meeting with [quarterbacks] coach [Brian] Griese and [assistant quarterbacks coach] Klay Kubiak, so we had a zoom set up and walked through some plays at Iowa State, my story and how I think, all that kind of stuff. And then going into the last day of the draft, Kubiak and Griese called me and just caught up and said, hey, hopefully we can have the opportunity to take you today at some point, so that was really about it.”

So those were the first two members of the organization you had contact with?
“Yes.”

Did you do any top 30 visits?
“I did not, no.”

When you thought that maybe you might not get drafted, was there another team that you were ready to sign with or had it not come to that yet?
“There was a bunch of teams calling, both my agent and I, that had interest and wanted to meet up and then obviously have me sign with them. We had a list going, but there wasn’t exactly one team that I was going to go to.”

Not this team?

“This team? Yeah, no, the 49ers were on the list. Yeah. Yeah.”

Were you preparing for that whole process or were you surprised when you got drafted?
“Towards the end of the seventh round, yeah, we sort of started making a plan and everything on what was going to happen, but then I think with like three picks left, that’s when I got a call, so, yeah, that’s how it went down.”

What was your first impression when you saw the playbook and all the plays you’d have to learn. Where’s that educational level at now?
“Yeah, just like the baby steps, like the first level of it and having Griese and Kubiak explain the playbook to me, I was like, man, this is so different from college, but I just kept chipping away at it. But I remember I was so excited back then to know it, get to that point, but there’s definitely levels to it. You don’t just learn it over a week or anything, it’s been a whole process and still I’m not a 100% grounded in it yet. I definitely have a foundation, but there’s still more that I can learn and grasp. From where I’m at now to where I was day one, it’s crazy, but once you know the system, man, it’s awesome playing in it.”

You spend a lot of time at your locker going over, I’m guessing, the practice scripts and upcoming plays. How helpful has that been and why do you have to do it so much still?
“Yeah, it’s something that I’ve done for as long as I can remember in terms of high school ball, college. You got all these new plays and everything going in for different looks of who you’re playing that week, so, it’s not like I can roll out of bed and start going through plays and reads. It’s like, man, you got to study. It’s like a test each week, it’s a different test, so you have to continue to study for it and there’s no way of cutting corners or anything else. You’ll get exposed real quick, so I just want to make sure I’m doing everything I can possible.”

Offensive line/run game coordinator coach Chris Foerster was just saying in here a couple minutes ago that the other day you threw the interception, WR Jauan Jennings could have had it, you felt like you may have missed a little bit, but he was impressed that you flushed it real quick. Have you always kind of had that ability or was there somewhere along the way where you learned like you have to move past mistakes?
“Yeah, I think just over my career of playing high school and college there have been games in my life where I’ve let something like that happen and I dwell on it and then it affects my game moving forward, but I think really the second half in college, my junior and senior year, figuring out like, man, you have four quarters for a reason. If something happens like that, yes, you allow them to have momentum, but you can flush it and get right back on track, so, I would say in college I definitely learned how to turn the page and keep rolling.”

Your final three years at Iowa State, Baltimore Raves TE Charlie Kolar led the team in touchdown receptions all three years. Now, TE George Kittle is playing great the last couple of games. What is it about your game that you think hypes up or brings out the best in tight ends and the other way around?
“Yeah, I think what they do is great. Both systems that I’ve played in, our tight ends really do well in the run game and then that compliments them opening up for play action pass and things like that. And obviously with George, he does a great job of blocking first and then allowing the pass game to open up opportunities for himself, so I know that. I really love throwing to tight ends just because of the mismatch on safeties and linebackers that they have and George’s speed and Charlie in college for him as well. Like every time it was man, I was like, man, I love going to Charlie, that kind of thing. With George and all the tight ends here it’s the same way. I love throwing to him, I trust him, and we just go from there, but yeah, I love tight ends.”

As far as Griese’s coaching style. Where is he as far as hardass over here, put his arm around you over here? Or does it depend on the situation or the situation or the day?

“Yeah man, Griese just does a good job of keeping it real. He doesn’t try to tell us one thing just to make you feel good or anything. He wants to win, and he tells us the truth and he is hard on us, especially in the meeting rooms and everything. He’s like, hey man, you got to get better here, you got to get better here. This is the read, you got to trust it, whatever it may be, but yeah, if you do a good job and make a play, even if it’s off schedule, he’s going to be the first to tell you like, man, that was awesome. So, he does a great job of having the balance of being the discipline coach, but also showing love and building you up, so he’s done a great job with it. It’s his first year, but I feel like he’s been coaching for 20, so it’s awesome.”

On game days, you talk to him a lot. Is he your kind the main guy you communicate with in games?
“Yeah. I would say that just because he’s on the bench with us going over the last drive and what we’re thinking moving forward, he gets all the communication from [head coach] Kyle [Shanahan] and [offensive pass game coordinator] Bobby Slowik and everyone upstairs, so he’s the guy that we talk to the most.”

First of all, congratulations on winning the Pepsi Rookie of the Week, and also what does it mean to you to share a stat with HOF QB Dan Marino? Because after the game against the Washington Commanders you guys are the only quarterbacks since 1950 to pass for at least two touchdowns and have a passer rating of 100 or higher in your first three starts.
“Yeah, I think it’s pretty cool. I’m not big on stats and all that kind of stuff, but when it’s Dan Marino, that’s pretty cool. My dad grew up a Miami Dolphins fan and we were all Dolphins fans growing up, and I wear 13 because of Dan Marino, so to have that kind of stat, I think it’s pretty cool to take a step back and be thankful and grateful for where you’re at, but again, like I said, I don’t get wrapped up in it. It’s not my driving force or goal to break this record or anything like that. It just happens, but yeah, very thankful.”

How is this birthday different for you?

“Shoot, I’m at work. I don’t really have time to go out and celebrate or anything like that, but honestly this is a great way to spend it, around great guys in the locker room and I get to play a sport for my job, so I’m very thankful.”

You were number 15 in college?

“Yes.”

What happened? Who had number 13?
“There was a receiver right when I got there who had 13, so they just gave me 15. I just stuck with it for four years.”

Is there a South Florida tie with your dad? Why Marino?
“He just grew up in Florida and so his dad, it was during the era of Marino taking over and so that was their team at the time and it always has been. And even though I grew up in Arizona, the Dolphins were my team too.”

Was there a lot of film of Marino on YouTube for you?
“Oh yeah. Yeah. My dad would always tell me when he was teaching me how to throw and everything, it was always, man, you got to have a quick release, like quicker than that. I’m like dad, I don’t know if I can man. He’s like Marino had a quick release, but yeah there was some film on Marino for sure on YouTube.”