Jets’ Hall recalls ‘overly competitive’ college friendship with Purdy originally appeared in NBC Sports Bay Area
Former Iowa State roommates Brock Purdy and Breece Hall will face each other for the first time in the NFL next season when the 49ers welcome to the New York Jets to Levi’s Stadium in Week 1.
The Jets running back was asked about the Big “Monday Night Football” Showdown and his cousin, 49ers legend Roger Craig, by reporters this week, revealing the nature of his college friendship with Purdy, while also noting that the two had not spoken before their first game of the 2024 NFL season. .
“No not me [spoken to Purdy] yet,” Hall told reporters after noting that facing San Francisco in Week 1 will be a good measure for him and the Jets. “Me and him are actually overly competitive with each other, so even in college when we played Madden and Other things, whoever won, we wouldn’t talk to each other for the rest of the day.
“So that’s how it’s going to be until after the game.”
Jets RB Breece Hall, who is the cousin of 49ers legend Roger Craig, talks about playing San Francisco in Week 1:
“Playing against the 49ers, Brock [Purdy] I was my college roommate and everything.”
Breece was asked if he’s spoken to Brock since the schedule’s release:
“Not me… pic.twitter.com/d43HK4OlZt
– Coach Yac (@Coach_Yac) June 15, 2024
Hall was Purdy’s teammate for three seasons at Iowa State, where the duo helped lead one of the most successful stretches in program history.
And it’s clear that despite their “overly competitive” nature, Hall and Purdy share a fun friendship that will surely be put on pause as the former Cyclones face off on the football field. But outside of that, college roommates have been known to fight for each other, with Hall defending Purdy last season when the 49ers quarterback hit a rough patch ahead of San Francisco’s 2023 bye week.
“It’s nothing he hasn’t been through before,” Hall told “The Rich Eisen Show” last season. “At Iowa State, we weren’t perfect. We lost some games, we lost some close games, nail biters and stuff. He had some heartbreaking plays. I know him. He takes it seriously. He’s going to bounce back. He’s going to play better. I know he will, and I’m not worried about him at all. He’s still a good guy, a great quarterback, and I’m excited to see what he does this season.”
Purdy did indeed bounce back, as the 49ers finished the regular season with a 12-5 record and as the No. 1 seed in the NFC before losing Super Bowl LVIII to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In 2024, Purdy and Co. will look to bounce back and return to the big game – this time, hopefully, hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end. But first the 49ers will have to get past Hall Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the Jets to start it all.
