- Editor’s note: “Mr. Relevant: Brock Purdy’s NFL Story,” a 49ers Talk original series, details the QB’s incredible journey from last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft to Bay Area star through his eyes and those closest to him, his mother and father.
When Brock Purdy returns to the NFL field on Sunday — exactly six months after elbow surgery — he’ll have his father to thank for it.
sean Purdy, A minor league player for eight years In the 1990s, he partially tore the UCL in his arm before the 1993 season in the Angels system, and needed a long rehabilitation process to play again. Thirty years later, he used that experience to help his son after the 49ers’ young quarterback tore the entire CL in his arm last season. NFC Championship Game in Philadelphia.
“Being able to ask him and go to him for advice by saying, ‘Man, what should I do?’” Brock Purdy told NBC Sports Bay Area in a recent interview. “The biggest thing he can say is, ‘You have to be patient. “There is a process to this. You cannot overnight, suddenly heal.”
Sean Purdy called people he knew, including someone who was part of the rehab center, and helped his son understand what lay ahead. He expressed his appreciation and agreed to the recovery schedule put forward by the specialist doctors for Brock, who underwent surgery on March 10.
“[My UCL injury] It wasn’t that serious, but I know a lot of rehab guys, and the guy I knew [Keith Coker] “It’s amazing,” Sean Purdy told NBC Sports Bay Area. “He’s the first guy I lean on. The rehab part is very important.”
The younger Purdy wasn’t known for patience, but he knew following the program would be paramount. This included everything from taking scheduled days off, to counting every throw he made during practice, to getting enough sleep to allow his body to heal.
“It’s just about being realistic, with myself and with the doctors and professionals in the field,” Brooke Purdy said. “They’ve done the surgeries, they’ve done the rehab, they know what’s best. So, I trust them, I trust them with the timing of my arm healing. I just have to trust the process, not try to rush it.”
“I wanted to do every little thing right that I could — sleep, eat the right things, vitamins, make sure my diet was right, exercise when I could, just try to do every little thing right.”
Brock and the 49ers have closely followed that schedule, which included a “dump” week that allowed half the number of throws he has made since he was cleared to practice fully with “no restrictions” in late July, less than 20 weeks after surgery and eight weeks after Only starting the throwing program with regulation size football. By mid-August, he was allowed to perform three consecutive practices, as he does during the regular season, and played in San Francisco’s final two preseason games, completing 9 of 14 passes for 138 yards without issue.
“Just because we go out to practice today doesn’t mean we’re going to win the Super Bowl now or anything like that,” Brock said. “I have to keep my head down and work day in and day out. Do the little things right to allow my arm to rest and recover.
“When it’s time to go out to practice, practice. When it’s not, don’t. There’s a process to it. Obviously we want to be ready for the first game, and we’re trying to do everything right until then.
This weekend in Pittsburgh, Purdy can show the NFL world that he’s fully recovered and ready to have more success in his second professional season.
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