Before Brock Purdy took the NFL by storm, he was rocking an Iowa State Cyclones jersey on Saturdays. While relatively unknown in terms of NFL Draft projections, Purdy was one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever suit up for the program.
His name is all over the ISU record books, and “Purdy Magic” lived in Ames far before it resided in San Francisco.
Brock Purdy’s Elite Play for Iowa State Football
With only 262 players selected in the NFL Draft, it’s inevitable that some talents will be overlooked or undervalued, and there may even be a few names that fly under the radar. For Brock Purdy, the reasons why NFL teams passed on him remain unclear, as he continues to surpass expectations.
From the moment Purdy stepped on the field at Iowa State, he began rewriting the program’s record books.
After replacing an ineffective Zeb Noland and an injured Kyle Kempt, Purdy won seven of his first nine starts, finishing with an impressive 169.9 quarterback rating. In his sophomore year, he solidified his place as the starting quarterback, and “Purdy Magic” began to take shape.
Purdy led the Big 12 in passing yards that season, throwing for 3,982 yards and 27 touchdowns. Remarkably, he never threw more than nine interceptions in a single season and delivered countless highlight-reel moments that left ISU fans on their feet.
For his career, Purdy threw 12,170 career passing yards, completing 993 of 1,467 pass attempts. He threw 81 touchdowns against 33 interceptions, and his magic with his legs was evident as he ran for another 19 touchdowns and 1,177 yards.
He didn’t need to run all the time, nor did he need to flash the level of play he has with the 49ers at times with Iowa State, but the talent he possessed was evident in each of his four starting seasons.
Purdy Sets Schools Records Aplenty
When his Iowa State career was all said and done, Purdy set 32 school records. Most importantly, his winning was evident as he led the first four-year stretch of winning seasons in Ames since 1923.
The school records Purdy set are as ridiculous as the start of his NFL career has been. Here’s the full list of 34 school records that Purdy owns at Iowa State:
- Most bowl starts (4)
- Winningest starting QB (30 wins)
- Games with 3 or more TD passes (13)
- Consecutive starts (46)
- Freshman passing yards (2,250)
- Freshman passing TDs (16)
- Single-season passing efficiency (169.9, 2018)
- Career passing efficiency (151.1)
- Single-game pass attempts (62, 2019 vs. Oklahoma State)
- Single-season pass attempts (475, 2019)
- Career pass attempts (1,467)
- Single-game completions (39, 2019 vs. Oklahoma State)
- Single-season completions (312, 2019)
- Career completions (993)
- Single-season completions percentage (71.7%, 2021)
- Career completion percentage (67.7%)
- Single-season passing yards (3,982)
- Career passing yards (12,170)
- Single-season 300-yard passing games (6, 2019)
- Games with 300 yards of total offense (18)
- Games with 300 yards passing (14)
- Single-game TD passes (5, 2019 vs. Oklahoma)
- Single-season TD passes (27, 2019)
- Career touchdowns passes (81)
- Most TD passes in one quarter (4, 2021 vs. Kansas)
- Consecutive games throwing a TD pass (12, 2019)
- Single-season plays (568, 2019)
- Single-game total offensive yards (510, 2019 vs. UL-Monroe)
- Single-season total offensive yards (4,231, 2019)
- Career total offensive yards (13,347)
- Single-game TDs responsible for (6, 2019 vs. UL-Monroe)
- Single-season TDs responsible for (35, 2019)
- Career TDs responsible for (100)
- Career rushing TDs by QB (19)
From Mr. Irrelevant to One of the Highest-Paid NFL QBs
In just his second season, Brock Purdy cemented his place in NFL history by leading the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance, further building on his already growing legacy.
Throughout his early NFL career, Purdy has consistently demonstrated the same pinpoint accuracy and sharp decision-making that made him a standout at Iowa State. He has led the league in passer rating and earned Pro Bowl honors, setting the stage for what could be a record-setting career.
Displaying the same traits that made him successful in college, Purdy has thrown for over 4,000 yards and 30+ touchdowns in a single season, marking a strong start to his professional career. By the end of his second season, he had already amassed an impressive 44 passing touchdowns in regular-season play.
For his efforts through his first three NFL campaigns, the 49ers rewarded Purdy with a massive contract extension, making him the seventh-highest-paid signal-caller in the league.
BREAKING: 49ers and QB Brock Purdy agree to terms on a five-year, $265M contract extension, including $181M in total guarantees. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero, @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/X9rbw300WN
— NFL (@NFL) May 16, 2025
Perhaps even more significantly, Purdy has led the 49ers to multiple playoff victories, becoming the lowest-drafted quarterback to ever win a playoff game—a feat he has now achieved four times. With his sights set on even greater accomplishments, Purdy’s story is far from over as he continues to aim for more postseason success.
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