LAS VEGAS — Steve Young knew it the moment he saw it.
That day was December 12, 2022. That’s when 49ers starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was injured early in a home game against the Dolphins, sending in baby-faced 22-year-old Brock Purdy, the last pick in the 2022 draft. instead of him.
The rest is history. Garoppolo didn’t give the 49ers any more downs, and the 49ers became Purdy, and Purdy became the unlikeliest of unlikely sensations, defeating the Chiefs on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium and making it to 2024. poised to win the Super Bowl.
What did Young, the last Hall of Fame quarterback to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl championship (30 years ago), see in Purdy that day in December 2022?
“His processing,” Young told The Post by phone Thursday. “That’s his superpower. His superpower is processing. If you… [former New England first-round pick] Mac Jones – big, tall, strong, mobile – if you’re that kind of processor, go in the first round. If you’re small, you’re not big, you’re not strong, you don’t have a strong arm, you’re going to get drafted just like Brock. ”
last.
According to Young, Purdy eventually became “Mr. “Irrelevant” because the scout “doesn’t evaluate processing ability.”
“[Purdy] He has what I call an “Indiana Jones” ability. He finds treasure in two seconds faster and better than anyone,” Young said. “He’s very stable, and he’s also aggressive in a way. He’s really talented, but he’s also very aggressive. That’s a special power. There aren’t that many guys that do that.
“But when I say that, people say, ‘Well, he can’t play the way that other superstars like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen can be prototyped for,'” Young said. said. “And Brock was like, ‘Okay, I can’t do that.’ But what I can do is crush you to pieces with my efficiency.”
That’s why Young believes Purdy shouldn’t be considered an underdog against Mahomes in Sunday’s Super Bowl, even though the Chiefs quarterback is eyeing his third ring.
This is what I remembered thinking after Purdy completed 25 of 37 yards for 210 yards, two TDs and an INT in a 33-17 win over Miami at San Francisco.
“And then the next game you’re like, ‘Can he really do that?'” Young continued. “And then it became, ‘Can he really do that? Can he keep doing this? When all of a sudden it’s the NFC Championship game and he gets hurt, you… will wonder, “Can he make it another year?” ”
he does that.
Purdy led the NFL in passer rating with 113.0, threw for 31 TDs and 11 INTs, and led the league in yards per attempt (9.9) and yards per completion (13.9). And after 26 career games, including the playoffs, he’s 21-5 and looking to become the first quarterback to lead the 49ers to a Super Bowl title since Young did it in 1994. .
It’s clear that Purdy’s doubters and detractors won’t shut up until he wins a Super Bowl.
“The Super Bowl defines everyone’s career,” Young said.
Purdy is very gentle and doesn’t seem to have the slightest bit of arrogance, so it’s interesting to see what turns him on. But he has a quiet confidence and he tells you very matter-of-factly that he knows he’s good.
Young, who has gotten to know Purdy well, provides powerful insight into his soul.
“He has faith in God and that defines him,” Young said. “If you want to understand Brock Purdy, you have to understand that part of him. His mindset was, ‘I’m a messenger of God, and if God wants me to be an NFL quarterback, You will do that.” If he wants me to grow potatoes in Idaho, I’ll do it. And I’m fine with either. You don’t have to be an NFL quarterback to be happy or satisfied. ”
“That confidence comes from peace about your standing with God. You have to understand that, otherwise you can’t understand him. It’s about who he is and what he It’s fundamental to how we define ourselves, others, and life.”
So even if the 49ers beat the Chiefs on Sunday and become Super Bowl champions, cementing Purdy’s legacy, that won’t change who he is.
“Brock would be the first to say, ‘I’m not that big, I’m not that strong, I’m not fast, I’m doing it my way, I’m not the prototype.’ But I’m super We’re going to win the bowl…stay out of my way, brother.”
Of course, these are Young’s words, not Purdy’s.
Purdy’s words will be spelled out loud and clear on the field at Allegiant Stadium Sunday night.
