Meet the 'Golden' Brock Purdy: 76-year-old former Cyclones quarterback John Warder

He was No. 15. He hails from Arizona. He was the Cyclones quarterback.

And no, he's not Brock Purdy.

John Warder was the Cyclone's quarterback during the 1967 and 1968 seasons. Warder is 76-years-old while Purdy is just 23. But they boast several similarities from their shared birth state to the rural roots of their life partners.

Purdy made headlines when he returned to Iowa during the San Francisco 49ers' bye week, which fell on the last week in October. The NFL quarterback harvested crops at his fiancée Jenna Brandt's family farm in the state. He was also recognized on the field during the Cyclones game against Kansas on Saturday.

And nobody could relate more than the counterpart 53 years his senior.

"Because he was wearing my number for four years in a row at Iowa State, it was easy to just really be fond of him and then he was doing so well," Warder said.

Warder, Purdy both shared close bonds with coaches who helped turn Cyclones football programs around

Warder was the quarterback in the late 1960s and was coached by Johnny Majors, who turned the Cyclones football organization into a winning collegiate program. This, he said, marked another comparison between him and Purdy.

"I think Brock's relationship with Coach Campbell and my relationship with Coach Majors were, to me, very similar in that I don't know if Campbell ever hollered or was mad at Brock for anything, but I would say he wasn't," Warder said. "He basically said, 'You're my guy, we're gonna work through some things if they didn't go well.'"

When Majors died in June 2020, Campbell called the former coach "one of college football's all-time greatest coaches" in a statement.

'What a quality son he's raised:' Warder praises Purdy's dad Shawn

And Warder, who met Purdy once after an ISU practice, is even acquainted with a Purdy family member.

Warder has also met Purdy's dad Shawn after a mutual friend introduced the pair. Warder and the mutual friend paid a visit to Fantastic Spa Outlet in Mesa, which Shawn owns. The Purdy patriarch sells home spas and hot tubs.

"Got to chat with him a little bit and just really enjoyed meeting him and giving him praise for what a quality son he's raised," Warder said of meeting Purdy's dad.

Warder and Purdy share devout Christian faith, values

Both Purdy and Warder are devout Christians. During his time at Iowa State University, Warder developed a stronger relationship with his faith. Purdy would speak to local youth and church communities about his faith — like Warder.

"I think I understood it better of having a personal relationship with Christ," Warder said of his time at ISU.

Warder's wife Sharri grew up on a farm in Jefferson. Last summer, Purdy got engaged to his soon-to-be wife Jenna, a former Iowa State and University of Northern Iowa volleyball player, who was raised in small town Sumner.

There are differences, too. Purdy shares an apartment with a roommate in San Francisco, where he helms the 49ers. Warder is the founder of a consulting firm in the Twin Cities. He never made it to the league.

Purdy traded No. 15 for No. 13, but he'll always have a fan in Warder.

"I'm really proud of you for the way you represent your family and Iowa State University and also the way you represent yourself as a Christian person and I think the whole state of Iowa was pulling for you."

Jay Stahl is an entertainment reporter at The Des Moines Register. Follow him on Instagram or reach out at jstahl@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy has a counterpart 53 years his senior