Brock Purdy Wears the Number 13 as a Tribute to His Dad—Meet His Parents
He may have been named “Mr. Irrelevant” by the NFL when he was drafted dead last in 2022, but Brock Purdy’s parents have always believed in him. Jokes on the league, he took the 49ers to another NFC Championship in 2024 and earned himself an MVP title—a year out of his his rookie season, no less.
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“I think it’s a funny thing,” Purdy told ESPN at the time. “If you’re a fan, or even my family, friends and stuff, it’s funny to laugh about it and joke around with it. For me, I’m looking at it as an opportunity. I got my foot in the door, a team believed in me and now I get my opportunity to go and play football. That’s what I want my career to be. That’s what I want my job to be is to be an NFL quarterback and now I have the opportunity to do so. That’s how I’m looking at it.”
He continued: “From the outside looking in, I guess it’s a funny thing and I’ll embrace the role and have some fun with it for sure, but at the end of the day I’m trying to go and help a team win the Super Bowl. That’s where my mindset is at with it.”
Purdy started his varsity football career in 2015 as a sophomore at Perry High School and quickly established himself as a powerhouse heading into college and was deemed a three-star prospect. He signed and enrolled with Iowa State University in February 2018. Wrapping up his time at college, he finished at the Cyclones with a total of 12,170 yards and 81 touchdowns.
Brock Purdy‘s parents have been a pillar of support throughout his career, particularly in 2023 when he tore his right UCL in the 2023 NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Here’s what we know about his folks.
Meet Brock Purdy’s parents
Brock Purdy’s parents are Carrie and Shawn Purdy. Born on December 27, 1999, in Queen Creek, Arizona, Purdy has a highly athletic family. Shawn was a Minor League Baseball player for eight seasons, while Purdy’s older sister, Whittney, played softball at Southeastern University. Their younger brother Chubba was a starting quarterback at Perry before going to Florida State as a dual-threat quarterback.
According to The Athletic, Shawn was adamant the kids be active. “They didn’t have to play a particular sport. They weren’t pressured to become professionals. But if they did play, they’d give it their all,” the article said. Carrie, meanwhile, brought the oomph. “My mom,” Purdy said, “She’s always going to keep everyone on our toes. She brings the energy to the family, so I think I definitely get that kind of trait from her.”
When Purdy was picked last in the 2022 NFL Draft, his parents maintained their belief in him. “It just means a lot because throughout my whole life, the ups and downs of playing quarterback in general … they’re the people at home that believe in you and they always see the best in you,” he told CBS Bay Area after winning his first NFL game for the San Francisco 49ers in December 2022.
“They’ve believed in me even though I was the last draft pick,” Brock said. “They’ve always been telling me, ‘You’re good enough and we know that you can do it.’ And so, to see them after that performance meant a lot to me and [I’m] so very blessed to have them as my family.”
When the up-and-coming QB suffered a UCL tear at the end of the 2023 season, NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles and Purdy needed surgery to mend it. His dad had gone through the same injury in his baseball days. “Being able to ask him and go to him for advice with, ‘Hey man, what do I got to do?’ And the biggest thing he would say is, ‘You got to have patience. There’s a process to this. You can’t overnight, all of the sudden heal up,'” Brock told NBC Sports Bay Area.
“My mom and dad definitely gave me some great advice in the offseason,” Brock said in an August 2023 episode of the team’s “Brick by Brick” video series. “Obviously just being in the moment, being present, not getting too caught up in what’s going to happen in life, your career, coming off an injury, all [that] kind of stuff, but just being present with where you’re at. Handle rehab right now, everything will fall into place.”
Purdy’s dad is also the reason the star quarterback wears the number 13. Purdy grew up watching the Miami Dolphins with his dad. The team back then was helmed by quarterback and Hall of Famer Dan Marino. Father and son even watched some of his highlights so that Purdy could work on his technique. The NFL arranged an interview between the two eventually, and Purdy told Marino: “My dad always said I got to see you play the day I was born.”
