Allegiant Stadium transformed into a snow globe as Chiefs-colored confetti rained down, marking the end of Super Bowl LVIII. With a final score of 22 to 25, this edge-of-your-seat game filled fans all over the world with a plethora of emotions. Even after the fans filled out of the stadium, players' hearts remained on the field. Both literally and figuratively, every single player and coach in that game gave their blood, sweat, and tears to get there. Considering stats from the 2023 NFL season, it didn’t surprise many that the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers paved their way to the Super Bowl. However, one star player’s unparalleled story leaves its readers with their jaws dropped. More so, they ask themselves, “How did Mr. Irrelevant get to be a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl?”

Whenever a player is chosen as the last pick in the NFL draft, they are given the customary nickname of Mr. Irrelevant. As many could guess by the title, most Mr. Irrelevants don’t become the next Tom Brady or Jerry Rice of American football. It is hard enough for any draft pick to make it to the Super Bowl, and wearing this title just makes it an even rockier journey. In the history of the game, few Mr. Irrelevants have succeeded in accomplishing this. The first to do so was Marty Moore, a linebacker who played for the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI. Then came Ryan Succop, a kicker who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV.¹ Just this year, in Super Bowl LVIII, a third player made his way onto the list; Brock Purdy.

Brock Purdy was born and raised in Queen Creek, Arizona. There he attended Perry High School, where he led the school’s football team to both the 2016 and 2017 6A Division State Championships. Also in 2017, Purdy won the Arizona High School Player of the Year Award, recognizing his stellar performance as a quarterback. From these accomplishments alone, it’s clear that Purdy had talent at an early age.

The next chapter of Brock Purdy’s life came at Iowa State. In his four years starting as the football team’s quarterback, Purdy broke multiple of the school’s records. He now holds Iowa State titles for the most passing yards, touchdown passes, and completions. Alongside these stats, Purdy became the first quarterback to lead the Cyclones to four straight bowl games. After all this success in his college football career, the young athlete decided he would enter the 2022 NFL draft.

On April 30, 2022, the San Francisco 49ers used the 262nd draft pick to get Brock Purdy onto their roster.² Regardless of being another Mr. Irrelevant, Purdy was entirely grateful just to have an opportunity in the NFL. At the start of the season, Purdy was listed as the 49ers’ third-string quarterback. Ahead of him were Trey Lance, the season starter, and Jimmy Garopollo, the second-string. However, Purdy’s third-string position didn’t last long. Trey Lance went down injured in just the 2nd game of the 49ers’ season. Three months later, Garopollo's season came to a close after suffering from a foot injury. This left just one man for the job.

After endless patience, Brock Purdy’s NFL debut finally came on the 14th game of the 2022 season. Along with it being his first full NFL game, Purdy also had to play against none other than Tom Brady. With a 35 to 7 victory, Brock Purdy and the 49ers pulled off the unexpected.³ That day, Brock proved to millions of people around the world that he wasn’t just another Mr. Irrelevant. The wins kept adding up over the next couple of months, and the 49ers found themselves in the NFC Championship. Just one more win and a rookie quarterback would have been starting in the Super Bowl. However, this did not occur. Continuing the streak of quarterback injuries, Purdy went down in the first quarter of the game. With a completely torn UCL in his throwing arm, Brock Purdy’s first season came to an end.

For about five months, Purdy persevered through a demanding recovery process and prepared himself for another go. Now that they were exposed to what he was capable of, people had high expectations for Purdy in his second season. To spare the details of every game, Purdy and the 49ers found themselves in the NFC Championship yet again. This time, however, the 49ers did not lose the heart of their team. Purdy rose to the occasion and they pulled off a 34 to 31 win.⁴ That win put a new record under Brock Purdy's name. Along with the many accomplishments made on his journey, Purdy then became the first Mr. Irrelevant quarterback to play in the Super Bowl.

When asked about his journey, Purdy demonstrated his immense gratitude in saying, “...for us to come out one day at a time, one game at a time, find ways to win, [having] such a great squad and organization around me…[it has] just been a blessing, it's been a ride. So I'm very thankful."⁴