Brock Purdy has never been “Mr. Irrelevant” to Jenna Brandt.
Purdy was given the not-so-flattering nickname — a moniker dubbed every year — when he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers as the last pick of the 2022 NFL draft. Less than one year later, however, the football player would be the starting quarterback for the California team after Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo were both injured during the season.
In December 2022, Purdy became the first quarterback in his first career start to beat Tom Brady, leading the 49ers to victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35–7. Brandt, meanwhile, was in the crowd at Levi’s Stadium for the game.
“Love cheering ya on, BP,” she captioned a series of sweet snaps via Instagram at the time. In the comments section, the athlete responded: “Love you J❤️.”
Purdy and Brandt seemingly met at Iowa State University, where they were both freshmen in 2018. While Purdy was born in Arizona, Brandt is an Iowa native and played volleyball for Cyclones. In December 2020, she revealed she was transferring to the University of Northern Iowa to finish her collegiate career and undergrad education. Purdy, meanwhile, played four seasons at Iowa State, confirming his decision to enter the NFL draft in January 2022.
That November, Brandt confirmed their romance via Instagram. “My roots and my boy,” she wrote alongside pics of the twosome in Iowa.
Scroll through for more on Purdy and Brandt’s relationship timeline: