Peterson: Ex-Iowa State QB star Seneca Wallace has advice for Brock Purdy, Hunter Dekkers
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AMES — I hit up Seneca Wallace, the previous Iowa State quarterback drafted by the NFL. We talked after the San Francisco 49ers kept Brock Purdy on their final 53-player roster.
Surprised that 19 years later, another Cyclones quarterback made the NFL — especially considering he was the final pick of the seven-round 2022 draft?
“I would say a little yes and a little no,” Wallace said after dropping off one of his children at school Wednesday morning. “You can say it’s surprising that the final pick of the draft made a roster, but when you look at who it was — then no, not really.”
Wallace was Seattle’s fourth-round pick of the 2003 draft. He played nine seasons, mostly as a quarterback, but sometimes as a wide-out receiver and kick returner.
Purdy won’t be that versatile, obviously, but that’s all right. He made the roster, coincidentally on the same day linebacker teammate Jake Hummel went from a non-drafted free agent to a spot on the 53-player Rams roster.
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Big day for unexpected happenings? Depends on how you look at it.
“I’m a little surprised about Brock, but he has some of the tangibles you need to play at that level,” Wallace said. “He has to work on his range, as far as making all the throws, but as far as being in the right system — the 49ers are a great place for him to land.
“They don’t really stretch the ball down the field. They’ve got a lot of 10- to 15-yard yard throws, which are right in his range.”
Thus, I interrupt what should be a week-long celebration for the start of another college football season, with this column about the quarterback Hunter Dekkers replaces.
National media always joked about the unlucky fella picked dead last in the NFL draft, aka Mr. Irrelevant. To us and the 49ers, however, Purdy wasn’t a sideshow.
Brock Purdy was a super star quarterback, who came to Ames despite a last-moment recruiting pitch from some guy named Saban and another guy named Jimbo.
“I want to go someplace where I can develop and get ready for the NFL," Purdy told me when I caught up with him on the phone in the airport on his way back home from his Alabama recruiting visit.
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Iowa State had already offered. Alabama coach Nick Saban, seeking backup help, offered Purdy a chance to walk on, then later upped the offer to a full ride. Ditto Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M.
Campbell stayed in the game. He went all-in when he accompanied four of his assistants on a plane for one last visit to Purdy’s home in Gilbert, Arizona.
Boom.
Purdy was headed to the Cyclones. He wanted to play immediately, if possible, and that wasn’t happening at either of the national powers.
So, as you congratulate Purdy, remember also that Campbell and Co. didn’t flinch when Bama and Texas A&M came to town. That’s an important part of this story that doesn’t get mentioned enough: Matt Campbell didn’t blink.
Which brings us to the present — Saturday’s season-opening game against Southeast Missouri at Jack Trice Stadium. When Dekkers runs onto the field for the 1 p.m. game, the former West Sioux of Hawarden star will be the first Iowan quarterback to start a Cyclones season-opening game since Ankeny’s Joel Lanning in 2016.
“Not many nerves coming through my body right now,” Dekkers said Tuesday. “It’s mostly excitement.”
Purdy completed 30 of 41 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns during his first actual first Iowa State start — a 29-26 three-overtime win against Northern Iowa in 2019. Lanning was 18 of 28 for 256 yards and three touchdowns in a loss against the Panthers.
Iowa State quarterbacks are 3-3 in first career starts since 2011 — Steele Jantz 1-0, Sam Richardson 0-1, Lanning 0-1, Jacob Park 0-1, Kyle Kempt 1-0 and Purdy 1-0.
“I’m not really expecting too much,” Dekkers said. “If I go out there and play hard, I’ll be just fine.”
That’s fine with the Cyclones-loyal Wallace, too, as long as there’s a winning result.
“I remember the Oklahoma game last year,” Wallace said of Dekkers completing 5 of 9 passes for 29 yards and a touchdown while briefly spelling Purdy. “He’s a talented kid. He’s a smart, big kid.
“I’m excited to see what he can do. I want to see if they start fast … and then use that as momentum for the rest of the season.”
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As for Purdy, Wallace has this advice:
“Just learn as much as you can. Stay the course. Every year is going to be a different experience, and four different speeds — preseason speed, regular-season speed, playoff speed and then Super Bowl speed.
“You’re not going to get exposed to all those levels. There’s a whole bunch of stuff you don’t know, but you made it through the preseason. Now, you’re at another level of processing information and learning. Learn as much from the veterans as possible.
“Just like Hunter Dekkers learned from you.”
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson embarked on his 50th year of writing sports for the Des Moines Register in December 2021. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State QB great Wallace has advice for Brock Purdy, Hunter Dekkers
