'Holy Spirit, Take Over': 49ers' Brock Purdy Shares How He Prays During a Game
San Francisco 49ers star quarterback Brock Purdy and his teammates are preparing to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII (58) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday.
But this week, along with football and Sunday's big game, Purdy has been talking about his faith.
During a press conference, a Sports Spectrum reporter asked the San Francisco quarterback about his faith in Jesus, and what Bible verses he had been reading that may have helped him through the season.
"Yeah, for me this year, it's been Psalm 23," Purdy answered as he paraphrased the verse. "The Lord is my Shepherd. I have what I need. He lets me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters."
"But for me, playing this game, playing this sport, there's a lot that goes into it," he continued. "And, you know you can... it's easy to get wrapped up in, you know, wanting and feeling like wanting to be loved, you know, obviously by your teammates and everybody, but like the world."
"And so, for me, like in that, in that passage, it's talking about, you know, I already have what I need from the Good Shepherd in Jesus. So I've just been studying Psalm 23 throughout the whole season and then going back to it. It's what I start off with actually every single day. I just read off Psalm 23 to myself before I start," Purdy said. "Start off with some solitude, and then I go about my day."
"I already have what I need from the Good Shepherd in Jesus."
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) February 7, 2024
Today, Sports Spectrum talks with @49ers QB Brock Purdy about Psalm 23 and how scripture impacts his daily life. https://t.co/3QD2o4NT4V pic.twitter.com/z8cLUEpDyf
The third-youngest quarterback ever to start a Super Bowl, the 24-year-old Purdy can cap a remarkable rise from the last-placed pick of the 2022 draft to champion in less than two years. And now he's leading San Francisco to its eighth Super Bowl appearance — tied for second most ever — and is seeking its record-tying sixth championship.
The Sports Spectrum reporter followed up his question saying he had talked to his dad (Shawn Purdy) who told him he "prayed his guts out" while watching his son play.
"Do you pray when you're playing during a game?" the reporter asked.
Responding with a smile, the 49ers QB said, "Yeah, yeah, I do. You know, it's not 'Can we, God can we win here? Can we do something great here?' It's more just to ask 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 lead me here in this moment and allow me to think clearly. Allow me to, you know, obviously go through my reads' and like I said, just have an even-keeled state of mind that I get from the Holy Spirit."
As CBN News reported, it looked nearly impossible for San Francisco to win the NFC Championship at the start of halftime on Jan. 28 as they were down 17 points against the Detroit Lions.
But Purdy later revealed that it was his faith in God that gave him the confidence, boosting his team over the edge – ultimately sending them to the Super Bowl.
"When I'm down 17 at the half, honestly, I'm just thinking, 'All right God, You've taken me here, and win or lose I'm going to glorify You.' That's my peace, the joy, the steadfastness — that's where I get it," Purdy said.
Even though the 49ers trailed 24-7 at halftime, they then scored 27 unanswered points in the third and fourth quarters. Purdy finished with a touchdown and 267 passing yards, Sports Spectrum reported.
After the biggest comeback in the history of the NFC Championship game, the 24-year-old said: "First of all, glory to God. He's given us this opportunity."
During the post-game press conference, Purdy was asked about how his personal journey helped the team overcome in the second half. And he quickly credited God.
"Honestly, I think it's just a testament to God and where He's taken me in life," Purdy said. "I've never been the biggest, the fastest, the strongest, or any of that. I feel like I've always had to sort of fight for what I get and work for what I get. But God's always given me an opportunity, whether that was in high school, college, and then obviously in the NFL. Getting drafted last, people overlook you and all that kind of stuff, and then all you need is an opportunity and watch and see what He does. I put my faith and trust in Him and He's gotten me where I'm at," he shared.
With all the attention and the fame that football has brought him this season, he remains grounded in his identity in Christ.
"My identity can't be in football, it can't be in the things of this world," he told Sports Spectrum. "It's got to be in Him."
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