During media availability ahead of Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy shared how he’s leaned on Psalm 23 this season by reading the passage daily to “start off with some solitude.” Purdy said, paraphrasing Psalm 23:1 during a Sports Spectrum interview, “The Lord is my shepherd. I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters.”
Purdy continued, “For me, playing this game, playing this sport, there is a lot that goes into it. It’s easy to get wrapped up in wanting and feeling, wanting to be loved — obviously by your teammates and everybody, but like the world. For me, in that passage, it’s talking about how I already have what I need from the Good shepherd in Jesus.” The 24-year-old, who played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones and was selected by the 49ers with the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, said he refers back to the psalm in moments when he needs it most.
He said, “It’s what I start off with, actually, every single day. I just read off Psalm 23 to myself before I start, start off with some solitude, and then, I go about my day.” In addition to reading the Bible, Purdy said he also prays before and while he plays. Purdy added, “It’s not ‘God, can we win here? Can we do something great here?’ It’s more just to have that peace, that steadfastness in all the chaos. That’s really what it is. And sink it back into like, ‘Holy Spirit, you know, take over and, and lead me here in this moment and allow me to think clearly, allow me to obviously go through my reads and like I said, have an even keel state of mind that I get from Holy Spirit.”
In his second season in the NFL, Purdy has stayed true to his faith and doesn’t seem afraid to share how it impacts his daily life both on and off the field. In late January, Purdy made a post-game comment praising God after the Sunday victory that allowed his team to advance to Super Bowl LVIII. Purdy said, “First of all, Glory to God. He’s given us this opportunity, and for us, it’s a team sport. You know, we knew we had [a] half left. Defense did their job. Boys on offense took care of business. Coach called a great game, and we had the faithful behind us the whole way. We love you guys.”
In a press conference last year, head coach Kyle Shanahan called his starting quarterback “pretty steady” and admired Purdy’s faith, saying his beliefs are what seems to drive him to great success. Shanahan said, “He’s a very faith-based person. I think that gives him his foundation as much as anyone I’ve been around. He’s taken this whole off-season as good as you can. He handles the pressure well and really doesn’t change. I think that’s why the guys love him, and I think that’s why he’ll continue to get better.”