From 'Mr. Irrelevant' to beating the NFL's GOAT: Meet Brock Purdy, the new quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.

 

One has played 331 regular season games and is regarded as the greatest player in NFL history. The other is making his first appearance in the league after being the last player chosen in the 2022 draft, earning him the nickname "Mr. Irrelevant."

But, as they shake hands and exchange encouraging words, the rookie is congratulated by the 45-year-old NFL legend, as "Mr. Irrelevant" revels in the victory, having just made himself very relevant to the business of winning football games.

Brock Purdy, the San Francisco 49ers' seventh-round rookie from the 2022 NFL Draft, has just led his team to a dominant 35-7 victory over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Despite the fact that Brady has seven Super Bowl titles, numerous accolades, and an ever-expanding list of records to his name, he was the one doling out compliments as the pair hugged.

"Nice work, my man. You did an excellent job. Keep up the good work. "Keep going," Brady, who was 22 at the time Purdy was born, said.

Whatever happens with the rest of Purdy's NFL career, in the eyes of his high school coach Preston Jones, he's already made a name for himself - and in more ways than one.

"(My daughter) wanted to name the little bull calf Cisco or Francisco," said Jones, Purdy's coach at Perry High School in Arizona.

"And I said: 'Hey, he may get cut, he may get traded. He could do this, that, or both. Let's come up with a new name.'

"And then we decided to change him from a bull to a steer. And once you've transitioned from a bull to a steer, you're no longer relevant.

"So I told them, 'Hey, guys, 'Mr. Irrelevant' will always be Brock's name. And since this bull has matured into a steer, he is no longer relevant. 'How about you, Mr. Irrelevant?' And they thought it was quite appropriate. As a result, we have Mr. Irrelevant Texas Longhorn."

'He appeared to have some dog in him.'

Coming out of college, both were unheralded by many NFL teams. Purdy had "field blinders occasionally robbing him of seeing the big play," according to NFL scouts, while "confidence and consistency have been issues" and his "delivery is labored."

Purdy slipped down the draft ladder due to those doubts about his game, and he was eventually selected by the 49ers as the 262nd overall - and final - pick.

Scouts criticized Brady in 2000 for having a "poor build," a lack of "great physical stature and strength," and a "really strong arm," as well as being a "system-type player who can get exposed if he must ad-lib and do things on his own."

Purdy was the 49ers' third-choice quarterback when he was chosen, and that famous red and white jersey was brought out with "Mr. Irrelevant" and No. 262 emblazoned on the back.

Purdy fell behind Trey Lance, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 draft, and Jimmy Garoppolo, an experienced veteran traded from the Patriots in 2017, in the depth chart despite being Iowa State's all-time leader in wins (he set school career passing records with 81 passing touchdowns and 12,170 passing yards and earned second-team Academic All-American honors).

In Week 2, Lance suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Then, in Week 13, Garoppolo injured his foot while playing against the Miami Dolphins, forcing him to miss two months and effectively ending his career.

Purdy was the 49ers' starting quarterback for the rest of the season.

"You'd think he's been in the league for 15 years," 49ers left tackle Trent Williams said, according to NFL Media. "If you talk, he'll tell you to shut your a*s up.'

"He ain't no timid newcomer learning his way around. He'll get under your skin. You'd think he's similar to Peyton Manning or something. When wide receivers aren't running, you'll hear him curse one out."

Purdy and the 49ers tore through an opponent with a week's preparation, as the Bucs felt the full force of the former Cyclone's wrath.