The Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers will square off in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday. The game will feature Niners quarterback Brock Purdy, a rookie drafted out of Iowa State with the last pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, facing off against Eagles quarterback and NFL MVP finalist Jalen Hurts.
This isn’t the first time Hurts and Purdy have faced each other in their athletic careers. In college, Hurts and Purdy went head-to-head in a thrilling Big 12 showdown with Hurts and the Oklahoma Sooners getting the best of Purdy and the Cyclones, 42-41. The highlights of that game recently went viral ahead of their first matchup in the NFL coming with such high stakes.
Elsewhere in the City of Brotherly Love, Sixers forward Georges Niang met with the media after practice on Friday. Niang, who attended Iowa State with Purdy and is friends with the Niners signal caller, was asked about who he’s rooting for on Sunday and made clear he’s supporting his current city.
Georges Niang today on his Iowa State connection in the NFC title game:
“Brock Purdy’s a good friend of mine. … I hope Brock does well, but obviously I like living and breathing, so I want the Eagles to win.”
— Noah Levick (@NoahLevick) January 27, 2023
Sure, Niang could support his friend who has had a fairytale season by going undefeated and winning his first two playoff games as a rookie third-string quarterback, but keeping Philly fans in his corner is, obviously, more important. Niang has played in the city long enough to know that.