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Some old comments made by Nick Saban are now resurfacing online. The remarks revolve around 49ers signal caller Brock Purdy, and they were made way during the passer’s recruitment.
Saban was reportedly critical of Purdy’s abilities during a visit to the Alabama campus. Those words are now coming back to bite the head coach.
Purdy’s rise to starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers has been the story of the NFL season. The former “Mr. Irrelevant” will now look to get his team to the Super Bowl.
But not everyone saw that meteoric ascension coming.
During Purdy’s high school senior season, he took a trip to Tuscaloosa to check out the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban didn’t seem to be impressed by the passer’s skillsets.
“He didn’t really know me… He said, ‘You’re below average in height. Your arm strength is whatever. Your accuracy is average.'”
Though he had an offer from Alabama, Brock Purdy said he’d rather go to another school to prove Saban wrong.
After four seasons at Iowa State, he’s now proving all of his doubters wrong with his performance as an NFL rookie. Through six starts, he’s a perfect 6-0.
Purdy’s thrown for 1,374 yards and 13 touchdowns, leading one of the league’s top offensive units. Many were quick to comment on those now viral Nick Saban remarks on social media.
One person wrote, “Saban is down bad. No wonder he’s contemplating retirement after this upcoming season.”
Another fan commented, “I’ll bet Tom Brady heard similar stuff coming out of high school. Some guys mature later than others. Doesn’t make Saban wrong.”
Purdy obviously used the criticism as fuel, and it’s now paying off. We’ll see if he’s able to get the Niners to the Super Bowl this postseason.
Related: Chris Simms made unsavory comments about Brock Purdy