All about Whitney and Chava

Brock Purdy isn’t the only athlete in this family.

The San Francisco 49ers quarterback grew up in Gilbert, Arizona with his older sister Whitney and younger brother Chava. Parents Sean and Carey took advantage of the city’s advanced training facilities to develop a trio of All-Star players.

Whitney, the eldest of three, went on to play college softball, and the youngest, Chava, signed to play football at the University of Nevada. Meanwhile, Brock is on his own elite team — at least for the time being until Chava joins the major leagues.

Despite being the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Bullock carved out a name for himself as the 49ers’ quarterback. In December 2022, Bullock made his first NFL start and led his team to a victory over legendary Tom Brady, with his brother and family watching.

Thanks to the NFL, Brock and his brother were able to make even more memories last year. But perhaps one of Bullock’s favorite moments was when he pranked his family on draft day. After not hearing his name called in the sixth round, it was unlikely that Bullock would be drafted. Then I got a call from the 49ers’ general manager.

“I walked into the living room and everyone was waiting for me,” Bullock told NBC Sports in September 2023. “I’m getting another free agent call,” he told his family, making them believe he wasn’t selected. “They were like, ‘That’s not true, you’re lying,’ and I said, ‘That’s it.'”

“I’m trying to act sad in my chair,” Bullock laughed. His name appeared in large letters on the television before the announcer read it out loud, causing a huge reaction from the Purdy family. “They all screamed and jumped up like I was a first-round pick,” he recalled.

Here’s everything you need to know about Brock Purdy’s brothers, Whitney and Chava, and their special bond with the quarterback.

Bullock, Whitney and Chava grew up in Arizona

For Sean and Carrie, who grew up on opposite coasts, settling in Arizona was a no-brainer. “He didn’t go to California, and I didn’t go to Florida. This was our compromise, and we love it,” Carey explained of their decision in a November 2019 op-ed for The Athletic.

The couple raised their children in Gilbert, about 40 miles southeast of Phoenix. The area was already somewhat familiar to Sean, who had played minor league baseball in Arizona. As time passed and the Purdy children became involved in sports, it quickly became clear that Gilbert had made the right choice.

“The sports in Arizona were pretty good,” Bullock said in an interview with the 49ers in December 2023 prior to a game at State Farm Stadium. “Competitively, I feel like I was a really good athlete because of all the kids around me who loved sports.”

Like Bullock, Whitney and Chava have also been able to take advantage of year-round training thanks to Phoenix’s relatively mild climate.

Brock and Chuba have always been competitive

“Ever since we were little, it’s been all about competition. We just always want to win, we don’t like to lose,” Chuba told The Arizona Republic in August 2019.

Chuba recalled one family trip when he and his brother devised a difficult challenge to see who could defeat the other and whose skills were sharper and more accurate. Whatever it is, Sean said you can always expect “the gloves to come off when you two are together.”

Chubba’s nickname was given to him by his father.

Preston Purdy, affectionately known as “Chava” to his friends and family, received his unique nickname when he was just one year old. In an interview with The Arizona Republic, Sean recalled that Preston was a “huge” baby weighing 32 pounds before his first birthday. So he, like the rest of his family, began calling his youngest child Chuba.

The nickname stuck and became Chuba’s professional name on the playing field. The high-profile athlete said he plans to legally change his name to “Chuva” in the near future.

“Everyone calls me Chava,” he told the outlet. “People have said things like ‘chubby’ but I don’t care because chubby is my name.”

Whitney played college softball.

Purdy’s next generation of athletes started with Whitney. The oldest of the siblings, Whitney played two years of softball at Spartanburg Methodist University in South Carolina, then transferred to Southeastern University, where she finished her college career alternating between third base and shortstop.

At the same time, Brock was trying to get ahead in soccer. But, he told The Athletic in July 2023, his arms were nowhere near as good as his older sister’s, who “could fire.” Despite this, Bullock stated that Whitney was too kind and mature to keep it to himself.

Chuba played football at the University of Nevada

Chava initially announced that he intended to play football at San Jose State University next year, but in a since-deleted post on X, he said he would attend the University of Nevada instead.

After a successful career at the University of Nebraska, Chuba entered the NCAA transfer portal and appeared in 12 games. Prior to that, Chuba played at Florida State University from 2020-2021.

Whitney has a close relationship with Bullock’s wife

In July 2023, Whitney announced on Instagram that she was finally expecting a little sister. Whitney, Chava and the rest of his family were also present when Bullock got down on one knee and asked then-girlfriend Jenna Brandt to marry him.

Whitney celebrated the milestone on Instagram, sharing a carousel of images from their special day and welcoming Jenna into the family.

“It’s been a great week celebrating Brock and Jenna 🤍,” she wrote. “I’m so excited to welcome the sweetest sister-in-law! I love you both and here’s to a great year ahead 🥂💍”

Whitney and Jenna, along with several others, traveled to Telluride, Colorado for Jenna’s bachelorette party. “Had the best time celebrating my soon-to-be sister-in-law!!! JB, I love you so much and can’t wait to be part of the family soon!” she captioned an Instagram post from the trip.

Both Purdy brothers were there when Brock and Jenna got married in April 2024. “They went to the chapel and got married!!!💒,” Whitney captioned the Instagram post. “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Purdy! It was so much fun celebrating you both! I love you so much 🤍”

Jen and Brock welcomed their first child, Millie Jolene, in July 2025.

Chubba credits Brock as a big influence on his soccer career

During an interview with the Omaha World-Herald in March 2022, Chuba took a moment to praise his brother. The younger Purdy credited Bullock with not only giving him an affinity for cold weather, but also teaching him the ins and outs of football.

“My brother helped me a lot in life and in football,” Chuba told reporters. Among the many useful skills Chuba learned from Brock, he said “reading the defense” and “teaching the game” are at the top of the list.

“I’m really grateful to him. He also has a lot of experience and taught me a lot,” Chuba added.