LAS VEGAS (AP) — Minutes after the San Francisco 49ers finished off a stunning comeback to win the NFC championship, star defender Nick Bosa pulled aside quarterback Brock Purdy and marveled at his journey.

Purdy has undergone a meteoric rise from “Mr. Irrelevant” as the final pick of the 2022 draft to MVP finalist and starting quarterback in the Super Bowl in a span of less than 22 months.

It’s been one of the most improbable draft success stories in recent memories and seems to shock just about everyone other than Purdy, who had the steadfast confidence that he could make it as long as someone gave him a chance.

THE CHIEFS ARE UNDERDOGS

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Chiefs are underdogs heading into the Super Bowl against San Francisco, a situation they have rarely experienced in the six years that Patrick Mahomes has been their starting quarterback.

But it turns out they kind of like it. They no longer have to manufacture a chip on their shoulder, instead relishing the opportunity to prove naysayers wrong.

That was the case when they beat Buffalo in the divisional round, and again when they beat Baltimore in the AFC title game.

On Sunday in Las Vegas, they will try to become the sixth team since 2000 to win the Super Bowl as underdogs in their last three games.

CLARK’S STARDOM STARTED EARLY

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Caitlin Clark was in sixth grade when Iowa associate head coach and chief recruiter Jan Jensen first saw her play basketball. Jensen said Clark was shooting her signature deep 3-pointers even then and in a matter of minutes she knew she wanted Clark to play her college ball for the Hawkeyes.

Clark is now on the cusp of becoming Division I women’s basketball’s all-time leading scorer.

An early sign of how her career would evolve happened when she was a high school junior. In a game against Mason City she scored 60 points and made 13 3-pointers on 17 attempts.