Brock Purdy, the winningest quarterback in Iowa State history, has risen to stardom in the NFL. Purdy’s (’21) humble beginnings and exciting play on the field have captured the hearts of football fans across the country.
You’ve returned to Ames and continued to support Iowa State University since your NFL journey began. What fuels your loyalty to Iowa State?
Everything that Iowa State has done for me has been so beautiful. They’ve been so supportive. The people, the Iowa State Football program, it’s all been so unreal in terms of the support and the growth that I had while I was there. To go back and show love to everybody and my gratitude for them means a lot to me.
What is your favorite part about coming back to Ames?
My favorite part is the people, just because of how down-to-earth and real everyone is. Everyone wants to help each other out. There’s no selfishness. I don’t know what it is about the culture in Iowa, but everybody just loves one another authentically. And when you go back, you feel that every time.
What are some personal goals you have off the field?
I think one is how I can love my wife really well. I’m learning more and more about marriage and the importance of that. Then my community: how I can serve and help the next generation of kids. And then, obviously, being intentional with my family and friends, and the relationships that I have with them. I think all those things are extremely important in terms of helping me be who I am as a person rather than just a football player.
What is something that surprised you during your rise to NFL stardom?
As you start to become more and more well known as an NFL player, people start to think that you’re on some other level in terms of not being human. And for me, I always keep it simple. I’m still a son. I’m a brother. I’m a husband. I’m a friend. I’m a teammate. I’m human, and I have flaws. I’m broken. I’m not the perfect human being that a lot of people may think. Being in the NFL now, I’ve started to think, “People really do think that we’re perfect just because we’re on TV playing for an NFL team.” But at the end of the day, we’re human. I just try to keep it simple and remember that.
What’s one thing you’ll always remember or take away from playing in the Super Bowl?
That it’s a game. There’s a lot of hype and lead up to that game just during the week, and then all the glamor and fanciness that goes on before the game, at halftime, all of it. But, as I was dropping back and trying to convert a third down and score a touchdown, I was thinking, “This is just a game.” It’s still four quarters. Obviously, it’s the last game of the year, and it’s on one of the biggest stages, but for me, it was another football game that I was playing in my life.
Who has been the most influential and important person to your growth as an athlete on and off the field?
My dad; he played Minor League Baseball for eight to nine years and never got to the big leagues. Growing up, he gave me everything. And I’m talking time. He coached me in the backyard and in little league and football, you name it. To be able to get to where I’m at today, from college to the NFL, playing in the Super Bowl, it’s pretty cool just because my dad is the one that lit and ignited that fire in me at a young age. He supported me all the way. He showed me how to live on and off the field. I’ve always looked up to him, and I still look up to him.
What does it mean to have communities in cities across the country — from Ames, Iowa, to Gilbert, Arizona — look up to you and celebrate your success?
It means a lot to me. Growing up in Arizona, all I ever wanted was some good people around me, friends, and family, and no one ever wanted anything from me. They just loved me for who I was. And that was the same thing in Ames. As I started to play and have success and stuff in football, nobody really gravitated just to that. It was always who I was, and what I stand for is what they loved. And I appreciate that. It’s not all about me. It’s about how I can lay down my life and serve those around me both in Arizona and in Ames, Iowa. I feel like they’re very similar just in terms of the people that I’ve surrounded myself with. I am very thankful for both communities.
Is there anything else you want Iowa Staters to know?
Going to Iowa State for four years and then leaving, you realize how special the place is: the people, the campus, the college town itself, the pride of being a Cyclone, it’s real. As I look back, I’m grateful for the people who invested their time in me and for the roots and relationships that I have there. When I go back, it’ll always be the same — the same love and the same gratitude. I’m proud to be a Cyclone. I’m thankful that I was able to be a part of growth on campus. I will always love Iowa State and the people in Ames.