Steve Young compares 49ers QB Brock Purdy to Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones

San Francisco 49ers legend Steve Young has not been shy about heaping praise on Brock Purdy. Even last year when Purdy first took over as quarterback, Young was effusive in saying there was something special about the young quarterback.

Now, Young is continuing to laud Purdy for his abilities on the football field and he is doing so by comparing him to Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones.

Watch for yourself as Young was interviewed by ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Steve Young compares Brock Purdy to Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones

In the clip, Young reiterates what he has said a number of times about Purdy: he has "the Force" just like Luke Skywalker. Meaning, Purdy has that undefinable "it" that you do not truly know a player will have until they get to the NFL.

As Young has stated in the past, Purdy's ability to read defenses is what truly makes him "strong with the Force" in a football sense. The fact that he is able to process information so quickly and, more often that not, make the correct read and get the football where it needs to be on time is what allows him to excel despite physical features that some would consider limiting for a quarterback.

In the interview with Schefter, Young added a comparison to Indiana Jones, saying that Purdy can, "go through the mystery," of reading opposing defenses and make that split second decision of where to go with the ball.

The comparison to Luke seems apt because both Skywalker and Purdy come from humble beginnings in the desert. For Luke that was the desert planet Tatooine, and for Purdy that was in Arizona. Both were thrust into battle seemingly out of nowhere as Luke was able to help the Rebel Alliance destroy the first Death Star by turning off his tracking computer and using the Force while Purdy has led the 49ers to two straight NFC Championship games using the "football Force" as Young might call it.

Of course, we must note that Luke's successful Death Star trench run was more a case of him being surrounded by talented X-Wing pilots like Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter. He also had the aid of R2-D2 and was bailed out in the end by Han Solo who took out Darth Vader and the remaining TIE fighters to allow Luke to fire the final proton torpedo. So, really, Luke was nothing more than a system X-Wing pilot when you think about it.

But in all seriousness, no matter what nerdy pop culture references you use, Young's point is still a valid one. Purdy has shown time and again an ability to use his innate football sense to anticipate and deliver at the quarterback position. And while Purdy's season ended in injury last season, just like Luke Skywalker lost his hand at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, he has the opportunity to finish the job this season and deliver something 49ers fans have been waiting on for nearly 30 years, like Luke helping to free the galaxy from nearly 30 years of the Empire's tyranny at the end of Return of the Jedi.

May the Force be with Brock Purdy and the 49ers this Sunday when they square off against the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game.

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