Perry QB Purdy named 2017-18 Gatorade Arizona Football Player of the Year

December 11, 2017 by Seth Polansky, AZPreps365


CHICAGO (December 11, 2017) — In its 33rd year of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, today announced Brock Purdy of Perry High School as its 2017-18 Gatorade Arizona Football Player of the Year. Purdy is the first Gatorade Arizona Football Player of the Year to be chosen from Perry High School.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Purdy as Arizona’s best high school football player. Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Football Player of the Year award to be announced in December, Purdy joins an elite alumni association of state award-winners in 12 sports, including Mitchell Trubisky (2012-13, Mentor High School, Ohio), Greg Olsen (2002-03, Wayne Hills High School, N.J.), Matthew Stafford (2005-06 Highland Park High School, Texas), Harrison Smith (2006-07 Knoxville Catholic High School, Tenn.), Latavius Murray (2007-08, Onondaga High School, N.Y.), Brock Osweiler (2008-09, Flathead High School, Mont.) and Leonard Fournette (2014-15 & 2012-13, St. Augustine High School, La.).

The 6-foot-1, 197-pound senior quarterback completed 238-of-368 passes for 4,410 yards and 57 touchdowns against just nine interceptions this past season, leading the Pumas (12-2) to the Conference 6A state title game. Purdy’s 57 TD passes is a Conference 6A record. He also rushed for 1,016 yards and 10 scores. A Conference 6A First Team All-State selection and the Premier Region Player of the Year as a junior, he concluded his prep football career with 8,937 passing yards and 107 touchdowns.

Purdy has volunteered locally with “Shop with A Jock,” a program he initiated where area high school athletes spend a day shopping with underprivileged children before Christmas. He has also donated his time as a member of his local chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. “The most impressive thing to me about Brock Purdy is his pocket presence,” said Kyle Ide, head coach of Westwood High. “When pressured, he nearly always makes the first defender miss. Then he doesn’t just look to run, he is looking to make plays down field and he’s incredible accurate.”

Purdy has maintained a 3.80 GPA in the classroom. He remains undecided upon a collegiate destination.

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which work with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Purdy joins recent Gatorade Arizona Football Players of the Year Draycen Hall (2016-17, Higley High School), Daniel Bridge-Gadd (2015-16, Paradise Valley High School), Christian Kirk (2014-15, Saguaro High School), Luke Rubenzer (2013-14, Saguaro High School), Jalen Brown (2012-13, Mountain Pointe High School), Davonte Neal (2011–12 & 2010- 11, Chaparral High School), and Brett Hundley (2009-10, Chandler High School) among the state’s list of former award winners.

As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Purdy will be able to select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward program. Every Gatorade Player of the Year state winner receives a $1,000 grant to donate and will have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why their selected organization deserves additional support. 12 spotlight grants – one for each sport – will be announced throughout the year.

To keep up to date on the latest happenings, become a fan of Gatorade Player of the Year on Facebook and follow the conversation on Twitter #GatoradePOY. For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information, a complete list of past winners and the announcement of the Gatorade National Player of the Year, visit http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/.