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3 things to know on Brock Purdy, the ex-Iowa State football standout turned 49ers star

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Dargan Southard, Des Moines Register
·3 min read

No doubt, the San Francisco 49ers have carved out a section of Iowa support with what Brock Purdy has put together the last several weeks.

The former Iowa State quarterback is two wins from the Super Bowl after not seeing his first significant action until early December. Former Iowa tight end George Kittle has been one of Purdy’s favorite targets. There’s now a shirt for this very scenario.

Purdy and the 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys at 5:30 p.m. Sunday in the divisional round. A victory there and San Francisco would either host the New York Giants or travel to Philadelphia to face the Eagles with a Super Bowl spot at stake. The 49ers haven’t stumbled yet since Purdy entered in Week 13 and made his first start in Week 14.

More:What NFL writers, analysts are saying about ex-Iowa State QB Brock Purdy amid late-season surge

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Here are three things to know about this season’s most unlikely NFL darling.

Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy (15) throws against the UNLV Rebels during the first half of a game at Allegiant Stadium on September 18, 2021 in Las Vegas.
Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy (15) throws against the UNLV Rebels during the first half of a game at Allegiant Stadium on September 18, 2021 in Las Vegas.

Brock Purdy’s swift rise from nowhere should sound familiar to Iowa State fans.

That’s the exact route Purdy took to becoming the guy in Ames.

Like this season in San Francisco, Purdy entered the 2018 campaign as the third-string quarterback just hoping for a sniff of action. After Kyle Kempt was injured and backup Zeb Noland had mixed results over three weeks, Purdy took over at Oklahoma State in game five and never looked back.

He led Iowa State to a 48-42 win against the Cowboys, then shined the following week as the Cyclones toppled top-10 West Virginia in Purdy’s first start. He started Iowa State’s next 45 games with lots of success.

Purdy’s future in San Francisco remains unclear, given that 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance is very much in the equation despite suffering a season-ending ankle injury in Week 2. But it’s clear Purdy isn’t rattled when his situation intensifies quickly, and that should give him a shot to stick around long-term.

Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy (15) warms up before the Cheez-It Bowl against Clemson on Dec. 29, 2021, at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy (15) warms up before the Cheez-It Bowl against Clemson on Dec. 29, 2021, at the Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.

The fact Brock Purdy is thriving won’t surprise Cyclones supporters, either.

Purdy increased expectations at Iowa State to levels rarely seen. He finished as the winningest quarterback in Cyclones history (30-17) while owning or sharing 32 school records. Purdy went 16-1 in Big 12 home games and is the only Iowa State quarterback to start four bowl games.

Purdy is Iowa State’s career leader in passing yards (12,170), total offense (13,347), touchdown passes (81), completions (993), passing efficiency (151.1) and completion percentage (67.7).

While his college career didn’t end spectacularly — a 2021 campaign that saw the Cyclones go from preseason top 10 to a 7-6 record — Purdy’s impact in Ames changed what Iowa State fans demand out of their football program.

More:49ers' Brock Purdy had priceless reaction to learning LeBron James loved his playoff debut

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy runs onto the field before facing the Seahawks.
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy runs onto the field before facing the Seahawks.

What Brock Purdy is doing with the San Francisco 49ers is unprecedented for a rookie quarterback

Other than sticking the longtime Mr. Irrelevant tag on his name, few likely batted an eye when San Francisco took Purdy with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. The seventh round is not usually a place to look for rookie playoff starters.

Yet here Purdy is, on a seven-game winning streak since seeing significant action and becoming the starter.

Here are a list of some marks he’s set the last month-plus.

  • First NFL rookie with four touchdowns in a playoff game.

  • Led the 49ers to their highest-scoring game with a rookie starting quarterback in last week’s 41-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

  • Joined Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers and Kurt Warner as the only players with 300-plus passing yards and four-plus touchdowns in their first playoff game.

  • With at least two touchdown passes Sunday against Dallas, can break Justin Herbert’s NFL rookie record for most consecutive games with multiple TD passes.

More rookie marks could fall in the coming weeks if Purdy keeps the train rolling.

Dargan Southard is a sports trending reporter and covers Iowa athletics for the Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What to know about Brock Purdy, 49ers' QB and ex-Iowa State player