SUMMARY
- Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton recently sported Brock Purdy's 49ers jersey.
- Haliburton and Purdy attended Iowa State together and they were good friends.
Tyrese Haliburton has been one of the most successful individuals in the NBA lately. Besides making a solid run for the league’s MVP title, Haliburton also earned a first-ever All-Star starter selection. While he excels in the sport of basketball, nobody would’ve thought that Haliburton has some connection to the world of football. He so happens to be close friends with Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers.
The Indiana Pacers recently appeared wearing 49ers merchandise supporting Purdy. Haliburton wore a 49ers-themed hoodie with the No.13 printed on it. Purdy wears No.13 on his jersey. It may come off as quite a surprise to his fans since Haliburton has never shown much interest in football before. But it turns out, that the Pacers guard and the 49ers quarterback attended the same college together.
Tyrese Haliburton rocking 49ers Super Bowl-bound QB Brock Purdy’s jersey to tonight’s game! 💪🏈
Tyrese & Purdy went to Iowa State together & are close friends. @Pacers pic.twitter.com/Ans0Ko1vXc
— NBA Buzz (@OfficialNBABuzz) January 29, 2024
Between 2018 and 2020, Tyrese Haliburton was an elite member of the Iowa State Men’s Basketball team. The NFL star played for the college’s football program. During his time at Iowa State, the Pacers star managed to earn himself an All-Big 12 Second team selection before declaring for the 2020 NBA Draft. Tyrese spent two years in college while Brock Purdy decided to stay for an extra year. Purdy was the last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Is Brock Purdy the first Mr. Irrevelant to play in the NFL Super Bowl?
After being selected as the 262nd pick in the seventh round of the draft, Brock Purdy went on to surprise a lot of fans. Usually, athletes who get picked at the bottom of the barrel pull in the lowest expectations among fans. Some also get forgotten about within the first couple of seasons. However, Purdy worked his way to the top while earning himself a major spot on the 49ers’ roster.
Brock Purdy has already managed to be part of a Pro Bowl game in 2023. He was the NFL’s Passer Rating Leader during the same year while earning himself a PFWA All-Rookie Team selection the year before. Purdy would not have had an opportunity to start if it weren’t for the injuries of Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo during his rookie season.
After consecutive elite performances, the 49ers decided to give him a leading role on the roster. This season, he led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game and won against the Detroit Lions to enter the Super Bowl. Dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant”, he exceeded all expectations. But is he the first Mr. Irrelevant to make it to the Super Bowl?
No, Brock Purdy isn’t the only bottom-of-the-barrel pick to play in the Super Bowl. Three Mr. Irrelevants have visited the Super Bowl in the past. But only one individual managed to win it all, Ryan Succop, during the 2020 season.
