Brock Purdy blossomed into an NFL superstar, but the 49ers QB still hasn't lost touch with his college roots dating back to his time at Iowa State.
On Saturday, Purdy held his first annual football camp, hosting around 650 kids between the ages of 9 and 15 at the Cyclone's practice field in Ames, Iowa.
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Purdy was overcome with emotion returning to the town he spent four years in as Iowa State's starting quarterback, leading the Cyclones to unprecedented success that will endear him to Ames residents for generations to come.
“Every time I come back to Ames there’s just more development and it looks a little different,” Purdy said to the crowd assembled for his first youth football camp. “It’s just exciting because of the growth. Obviously, everybody getting behind Iowa State football and the program and the university, so to come back and just see new things, for me, it’s special, because I feel like all the guys even before me, we’ve tried to just continue to build this place. To come back and see the progress is pretty cool.” (h/t Cyclonefanatic)
The 49ers quarterback couldn't help but express his gratitude to be back in the area that helped him discover who he is as a person on his journey to the NFL, where he now embraces the role as a face of one of the most prestigious franchises in football.
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“Just the people, man,” Purdy said of his return to Iowa. “Come back here, it’s such a hometown feel. It’s a college town, but you see everybody again, and everyone’s just thriving, and everyone just loves each other and they help each other out — and they helped me understand who I am as a person in this life. I mean, those are crucial years, from high school to college in terms of understanding what you believe and what you want to do with life. I found that here, so it’s always nice to come back.”
Despite reaching incredible heights in each of his first two NFL seasons, Purdy hasn't forgotten the impact of the Iowa community that helped mold him into the man he is today.
As the 24-year-old embarks on his third campaign with the 49ers, Purdy always can take solace in the loving embrace he is sure to receive any time he returns to the Iowa town where he became a Cyclone legend.
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