Purdy is local hero in Queen Creek
It's 76 degrees under sunny skies as three teenage boys throw the football around and run routes at Desert Mountain Park. They're doing so Saturday on the same field Brock Purdy launched his career, one that now finds him as the 49ers' starting quarterback — and the NFL's most efficient this season.
“I watch every Niners game now, because it's so fun knowing someone from here is playing in the NFL. It's crazy,” said Talen Frazier, 15, a freshman running back from Purdy's alma mater, Perry High, in the neighboring town of Gilbert.
When it comes to Queen Creek — or the “QC” — Purdy is not literally putting it on the map. Business, or, at least housing, has been booming in this suburb 30 minutes southeast of Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert.
Block after block, street signs direct traffic toward the five or six housing developments under construction. Nowhere under the “Town of Queen Creek” signage does it stake claim to being Purdy's hometown.
“If he gets really, really good, they'll probably put something on a wall, but only time will tell,” said Dayne Silver, an eighthgrade quarterback who was throwing passes in the park to Frazier and Perry High freshman receiver A'Koa Purdie.
Purdy is already really, really good, of course, and he will suit up as a pro for the first time in his home state today, when the NFCleading 49ers (10-3) visit the last-place Arizona Cardinals (3-10) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, about 45 miles from his family's modern, ranch-style home.
Queen Creek's population jumped to 70,734 this year, from 59,516 in 2020, and 26,361 in 2010. There were just 4,316 people in its 2000 census, right after Purdy was born; he turns 24 on Dec. 27. A century ago, this region was known as “Rittenhouse,” supplying
cotton, corn and potatoes at the base of the San Tan Mountains.
Now it's supplied the NFL one of its most successful underdog stories, ever, all stemming from the 2022 draft's 262nd and final pick. When Purdy took possession of the 49ers' quarterback throne and charged them into last January's NFL playoffs, the San Tan Youth Football League celebrated and posted socialmedia pictures of his initial days, which included a 2012 championsip with the Special Forces.
Saturday, the Special Forces were playing the Vikings for another championship, and up in the Queen Creek High press box were Jeremy Neville (“Coach Bear”) and his brother, Adam, who've led the STYFL for nearly 25 years. In between Saturday's duties of working the scoreboard and public address system, they proudly reminisced about Purdy's younger days.
Jeremy Neville coached the middle-school Bulldogs traveling team when Purdy won the championship for them. One game stood out as they canvassed the Valley and state: “We were in Maricopa, down 20-0, and we won 21-20,” Coach Bear recalled. “He is an amazing leader. He motivated and elevated everyone. He has the intangibles scouts don't see. His heart and football IQ are priceless.”
Adam Neville then
looked toward the north end zone, recalled Purdy winning a double-overtime championship game with a touchdown pass, and added: “He's just the local boy everyone knows.”
Purdy is 17-4 as the 49ers' starter, including last season's NFC Championship Game loss at Philadelphia, where he infamously sustained a torn ligament in his throwing elbow.
“Hometown here: Brock Purdy's amazing NFL rookie year ends with elbow injury,” headlined a story in the Queen Creek Times, which noted how he “sure gave his hometown fans an exciting run these past few weeks.”
Purdy is more than the pride of this Phoenix suburb. He is both the NFL's ultimate underdog and its top-rated passer.
Two weeks ago, before the 49ers opened their 4219 triumph in Philadelphia, referee Alex Kemp approached a mic'd-up Purdy and said: “Hey, proud of you. Stay healthy. And good luck.” As that critical, NFC win finished up in the same stadium Purdy sustained a torn elbow ligament 10 months earlier, 49ers general manager John Lynch approached Purdy on the sideline, also offering a now-customary: “Proud of you.”
Purdy spent the early part of this past offseason home while his elbow recovered from March 10 surgery, in which an InternalBrace
procedure allowed for a rapid return to throwing in just under three months.
That arm, Purdy noted this past week, feels stronger than ever, and he's throwing deep passes more efficiently than ever. He leads the NFL in passer rating (116.9), completion % (70.2), TD % (7.0), average yards per attempt (9.9), average YAC (6.83) and NFC quarterback Pro Bowl votes.
After completing 20-of-21 passes in a 35-16 home win over Arizona, Purdy can next tie Joe Montana's NFL record today by completing at least 70% of his throws for an eighth straight game.
Queen Creek Vice Mayor Jeff Brown is a “huge fun” of Purdy's and is in favor of the town bestowing a key to the city or declaring a Brock Purdy Day, though that will have to wait until season end, when Brown and others hope Purdy wins NFL MVP and a Super Bowl.
Purdy, this past week, fondly recalled some of his favorite hometown spots, such as:
The Olive Mill: Its outdoor tables and fire pits, amidst an olive grove, is a “pretty nice” spot to “wine and dine.” Their Kalamata Sandwich was on The Food Network's “Best Things I Ever Ate” in 2015.
San Tan Flats: A Western looking, “country-bar scene” awaits, as does a hearty ribeye.
San Tan Café: Nothing fancy, but an “old, little country diner. Loved it.”
San Tan Mountain: It was “always fun” to hike a couple miles here, about a 10-minute drive from Casa Purdy.
“Other than that, I was growing up playing sports,” Purdy said.
Instead of playing for Queen Creek High, Purdy commuted about 15 miles west to Perry High in Gilbert, because, well, Perry is “as big as it gets,” in terms of playing football in the state's top division, 6A.
“So I spent a lot of time in Gilbert, because a lot of my buddies were from there,” Purdy added.
Called up as a freshman to watch the varsity playoffs, he split time at quarterback his sophomore year.