Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Brock Purdy was once dubbed “Mr Irrelevant” but the San Francisco 49ers quarterback will be anything but that when he takes to the MCG on Friday morning.
The 26-year-old playmaker is in the second of a five-year, $US265 million contract ($367m) with $US182m ($253m) guaranteed, and he will be in the sights of an almost unprecedented combination of LA Rams defensive duo Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald who will play together for the first time.
Garrett and Donald are known for ruthlessly “sacking” quarterbacks like Purdy – that is, tackling them to the ground with maximum force – and the psychological games were well underway on Tuesday as a video went viral of Garrett training with collision coach Billy Coffey to “hit even harder”.
When asked how he was sleeping, Purdy laughed. For NFL quarterbacks, putting their physical wellbeing on the line is an everyday reality.
“I’m still at eight hours, that’s a great question,” Purdy said.
“Those guys are really good players, and it will be fun to go up against them.”
Garrett, who the Rams acquired in the biggest trade of the NFL off-season, stands at 193 centimetres and 123 kilograms but boasts the power and speed to run past, or over, anyone standing between him and Purdy. What makes Friday’s game even more mouthwatering is that Garrett’s acquisition helped spur Donald, a 185cm, 127kg three-time defensive player of the year, out of retirement following two years out of the game.
Niners offensive tackle Trent Williams will be one of the men charged with keeping the Rams from getting to Purdy, and he’s well-versed on battling Donald as the Rams and Niners play twice a season.
Williams, a 38-year-old, 196cm, 145kg veteran, gave fans from all countries a vivid description of how difficult Donald is to grapple with.
“It’s like trying to catch a fish in water with your bare hands,” Williams exclaimed.
“He’s very, very quick. He’s very, very fast and very, very explosive. He does an amazing job being able to clear your hands, get his hands on your pads and pull himself through.”
The Rams are yet to confirm whether Donald will take his place on Friday, but all signs point to him being cleared to play.
While Niners fans know Purdy’s story well, Australian fans will love his rags-to-riches tale.
Purdy was the last pick, 262nd overall, in the 2022 NFL draft. That selection is typically referred to as “Mr Irrelevant” for the player seemingly taken as an afterthought and who is often cut early in training camp.
But Purdy embraced the title and made the roster before winning over his coaches. Since late in his rookie season, he’s been the man for the Niners.
“You look at the definition of leader – Brock Purdy’s picture is probably there,” Williams said.
“He’s been a leader ever since he stepped on the field. ‘Mr Irrelevant’, [the] last pick in the draft, from playing with the threes [the third team] to playing with the ones, he’s been the same person. He commands the huddle, he never gets rattled, and some of the throws he makes under pressure are phenomenal.
“I’m excited for the Aussie fans who get to watch him.”
Purdy said he was living his dream.
“As a kid, I loved football and I watched the NFL, and wanted to be on the TV one day playing, throwing touchdowns and all that stuff,” Purdy said.
“I loved training, loved early morning workouts and I just kept my head down going about high school and college and making the NFL.
“I look up now, and I’m doing what I dreamed of as a kid.
“But with that being said, I don’t take it for granted. I still wear my heart on my sleeve, have a chip on my shoulder and play every day to play this game knowing that it’s not guaranteed tomorrow. I definitely enjoy every moment.”
The Niners have been all business during their week in Melbourne, outside of some visits to cafes, restaurants and community events, but linebacker Dre Greenlaw was asked if his side planned to let loose post-game or even take a trip to the casino.
“I have no idea,” Greenlaw said with a laugh. “I don’t make those plans but, hopefully, it is the second one [casino].”
As the Niners prepare for game day, Brett Gosper, head of Europe and Asia Pacific for the NFL, revealed that Australia’s passion for Test cricket had given NFL executives confidence the MCG would be full for a 10.35am kick-off (AEST).
The NFL’s broadcast rights deals meant the clash could not be held at night in Melbourne, and shown in the early hours of the morning in the US.
Gosper said the regular 10.30am start for Test cricket meant the same kick-off time would not be an issue for the NFL clash.
“Yeah, there’s no question that Test cricket was used as an example that Australians will get up on a workday, and get up early to watch it. So that helped convince because we know Boxing Day is a holiday, obviously, it gets about 90,000, but the other days had big crowds, and I think that reassured people in New York,” Gosper, who grew up in Melbourne and is the former chief executive of World Rugby, said.
“I was never, as I said, I was never in doubt myself that they would fill the MCG.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says it is inevitable that the league will eventually have a team permanently based outside the United States.
Gosper said Australia was a “priority” market, and Friday’s clash was a seminal moment in the league’s history. He did not rule out a franchise being based in Melbourne.
“No one is putting their hand up at this point – who knows what the future holds,” Gosper said.
This year’s schedule features nine international games – eight league-run games and a London game as part of an agreement with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Wembley Stadium.
This year’s host sites are London (three games), Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City.
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