Drew Brees
Encyclopedia
Drew Christopher Brees (ˈbriːs; born January 15, 1979) is a quarterback
for the New Orleans Saints
of the National Football League
. He was drafted
by the San Diego Chargers
in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Purdue
.
Brees has been selected to the Pro Bowl
five times in his career – with the Chargers in 2004
and the Saints in 2006
, 2008
, 2009
, and 2010
. He was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year
in 2004, the Offensive Player of the Year in 2008, and the MVP
of Super Bowl XLIV
. He was also selected by voters to appear on the cover of Electronic Arts
' Madden NFL 11
. Sports Illustrated
named him as its 2010 Sportsman of the Year
.
55-15 in the 1996 title game.
with a degree in industrial management. He left Purdue with Big Ten Conference
records in passing yards (11,792), touchdown
passes (90), total offensive yards (12,693), completions (1,026), and attempts (1,678). He led the Boilermakers
to the 2001 Rose Bowl
, Purdue's first appearance there since 1967. In the game Purdue lost by ten points to the Washington Huskies. Brees was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award
as the nation's best quarterback in 1999. He won the Maxwell Award
as the nation's outstanding player of 2000 and won the NCAA
's Today's Top VIII Award
as a member of the Class of 2001. Brees was also fourth in Heisman Trophy
voting in 1999 and third in 2000. Brees also set an NCAA record with the longest pass ever (99 yards), to receiver Vinny Sutherland
against Northwestern
on September 25, 1999
As a senior, Brees was named the Academic All-America
Player of the Year, the first Purdue player since Bruce Brineman (1989) to earn national academic honors. Brees also was awarded Purdue's Leonard Wilson Award for unselfishness and dedication. To continue his education and improve his ability to pursue reasoned business ventures and opportunities, Brees also attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business
for NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurship in 2008.
, but he slipped due to concerns about his relatively short stature for a professional quarterback (6'0"), a perceived lack of arm strength, and a sense that he had succeeded in college in a system designed for him. Ultimately, Brees was the second quarterback selected in the 2001 draft, chosen by the San Diego Chargers
as the first pick of the second round.
San Diego originally had the first pick in that draft, but traded it to Atlanta
(which used it to draft Michael Vick
) in return for the fifth pick of the first round, with which San Diego drafted LaDainian Tomlinson
.
. He had won the starting job over Doug Flutie
during training camp before the start of the 2002 season
. Brees started all 16 games for the Chargers during the 2002 season, leading the team to an 8-8 record. After a disappointing start to the 2003 season
he was replaced by Flutie.
Brees' career with the Chargers was put in jeopardy after San Diego acquired NC State's Philip Rivers
. After the trade, it was almost certain Brees' days as the Chargers' starting QB were over. However, Rivers held out nearly all of training camp. Brees therefore remained the starter throughout the 2004 season
, where he started every game and led the team to a 12-4 regular season record. The Chargers won the AFC West and Brees was selected to the 2004 NFL Pro Bowl. He was named 2004 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
, giving him a one-year contract that quadrupled his pay to $8 million for 2005
.
Under the terms of the franchise player contract, Brees was eligible to be traded or sign with another team, but the Chargers would receive two future first round draft choices in return. He was not traded and continued as starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2005 season.
Brees continued his productive play in 2005, as he posted a career high in passing yards with 3,576. Brees also posted an 89.2 rating, 10th best in the NFL. However, in the last game of the 2005 season against the Denver Broncos
, Brees tore his labrum
while trying to pick up his own fumble after being hit by Broncos safety John Lynch
. Denver tackle Gerard Warren hit Brees while he was on the ground, causing the injury. Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, to repair the torn labrum
in his right (throwing) shoulder on January 5, 2006. Subsequent reports mentioned additional rotator cuff
damage and he also was treated by Dr. Saby Szajowitz to recover and regain muscle movement.
Brees was selected as first alternate to the AFC
Pro Bowl
team for the 2005 season. He would have played in his second consecutive Pro Bowl due to the injury to starter Carson Palmer
, but his own injury dictated that the AFC Pro Bowl roster would have to be filled by second alternate Jake Plummer
.
After the season, the Chargers offered Brees a 5-year, $50 million contract that paid $2 million in base salary the first year and the rest heavily based on performance incentives. Brees evaluated the incentive-based offer as a sign of no confidence by the Chargers and promptly demanded the salary a top 5 "franchise" quarterback would receive.
and the Miami Dolphins
were interested. New Orleans made an offer that included $10 million in guaranteed money the first year and a $12 million option the second year. Miami was unsure if Brees' shoulder was completely healed and doctors suggested the team not sign him because of the injury. The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for Minnesota Vikings
QB Daunte Culpepper
instead. Brees signed a 6-year, $60 million deal with the Saints on March 14, 2006.
, rebounded from its disastrous 2005 season
(when the team was unable to play in New Orleans due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina
and struggled to a 3–13 record) to finish with a 10–6 regular season record and won the NFC South division title. Brees threw a league-leading 4,418 passing yards, finished third in the league with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions and a 96.2 passer rating. Brees was named starting quarterback for the NFC in the 2007 Pro Bowl
. On January 5, 2007, Brees was named first runner-up behind former teammate Tomlinson for league MVP by the Associated Press
. Brees and Tomlinson were co-recipients of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
.
On January 13, 2007, in his first playoff game for New Orleans, Brees was 20–32 in passing attempts with 1 touchdown and no interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles
in the Louisiana Superdome
. The Saints held on to win 27–24, and advanced to the franchise's first NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears
. Though he completed 27 of 49 passes for 354 yards against the Chicago Bears
, and two touchdowns, Brees committed three costly turnovers, and was penalized for an intentional grounding in the endzone, resulting in a safety, as the Saints lost 39–14. Brees then dislocated his left elbow during the first quarter of the Pro Bowl.
Brees passed for 4423 yards and tied a then team record with 28 touchdowns. He also set the NFL record previously held by Rich Gannon for pass completions in a single season with 440. However, the Saints
missed the playoffs.
, the Saints again missed the playoffs but Brees had a strong year statistically, finishing 15 yards short of the NFL record for passing yards thrown in a single season set by Dan Marino
in 1984
. He finished the season with 5,069 yards and became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season. He passed for 300 yards ten times during the season, tying Rich Gannon
's 2002
record. He was named FedEx Air Player of the Week
for his performances during weeks 8 and 12 and was named the AP
2008 Offensive Player of the Year.
against the Detroit Lions
, Brees set a career-high and franchise-tying record with six touchdown passes, (NFL record for opening week) going 26/34 for 358 yards. The next week, Brees led the Saints to a 48–22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles
, throwing for 311 yards and three touchdown passes. Brees also tied the record for most touchdown passes by the end of week 2 with 9. In week 6 against the 5–0 New York Giants
, Brees completed 23 of 30 passes for 369 yards, 4 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 156.8 in a dominant 48–27 victory.
In week 7, Brees led a dramatic comeback victory on the road against the Miami Dolphins
, 46–34. The Saints
quickly faced a 24–3 deficit in the second quarter, trailing for the first time all season at that point, and failing to score on their first possession as they had in all of their previous contests. Brees had a poor outing, but provided two crucial rushing touchdowns, one just before halftime to narrow the deficit to 24–10, and one in the third quarter to give the Saints their first lead of the game, 37–34.
The next week, Brees threw for 308 yards on 25 of 33 passing along with two touchdowns and one interception in leading the Saints to a 35–27 victory and franchise tying best start at 7–0 against the rival Atlanta Falcons
. In week 9, Brees helped guide the team to a 30–20 victory over the Carolina Panthers
. This would be Drew's first victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome and gave the Saints their best ever start in franchise history at 8–0.
In week 12, Brees led the Saints to an 11–0 record, defeating the New England Patriots
38–17 on Monday Night Football
. Drew Brees totaled 371 yards passing, posting a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
After close victories over the Washington Redskins
and Falcons in successive weeks to start 13–0, Brees and the Saints lost their first game of the season to the Dallas Cowboys
, 24–17, after DeMarcus Ware
caused a Brees fumble in the final seconds, ending a fourth quarter rally. The Saints would then lose their last two games, with Brees sitting out the week 17 finale against Carolina. Their 13–3 record secured the #1 seed in the NFC.
Brees' individual statistics led to numerous accolades, including a Pro Bowl
selection, the Maxwell Football Club
's Bert Bell Award
, and runner-up in voting for the AP MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and All-Pro
awards. He finished the season with a completion percentage of 70.62, establishing a new NFL record.
In the divisional round of the playoffs, the Saints routed the Arizona Cardinals
45–14 to advance to the NFC Championship, where they defeated the Minnesota Vikings
31–28 in overtime. Brees completed 17 of 31 passes for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The underdog Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts
31–17 in Super Bowl XLIV
on February 7, 2010. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award. He threw for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was the first league championship in Saints franchise history. Brees was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, both for his winning the Super Bowl and his charitable work towards the reconstruction of New Orleans. On December 17, 2010, he was named AP Male Athlete of the Year.
In week 2, Drew Brees defeats the Chicago Bears during the Saints's home-opener for the first time in his career as a starting quarterback, with 270 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
With his first win over the Bears, Brees has defeated all NFL teams except the Baltimore Ravens.
Also of note, with the 79 yard TD pass to Devery Henderson in the 2nd quarter, Brees extended his streak of games with at least one passing TD to 29, which is 1 game behind Dan Marino and 7 behind Brett Favre, who both have 30 and 36 games with at least one TD pass thrown respectively. Johnny Unitas has the all time record with 47 straight games with a TD pass, but Brees streak is the fourth-longest in the NFL since 1950. Brees has not been held without a TD pass since Week 4 of the 2009 season, a 24-10 road win over the New York Jets. He has thrown 62 TD passes during the streak, which does not include four playoff games in which he also threw at least one TD pass.
In week 3 against the Houston Texans, Brees threw 3 touchdown passes to extend his streak to 30 games with at least one passing TD, tying Dan Marino. He also completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 370 yards, completing 31 of his 44 passes in a 40-33 home win.
In week 12’s Monday night hosting of the NY Giants, the Saints routed the Giants 49-24 aided by Brees' stellar performance.
to Chip and Mina Brees, who named their son after Dallas Cowboys
wide receiver Drew Pearson
. His uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-American starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns
college football team from 1975 to 1977. Chip Brees played basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team
, and his grandfather, Ray Akins, had the third-most victories as a Texas high school football coach.
Brees married his college sweetheart, Brittany Dudchenko, in February 2003. They both met and dated while attending Purdue University
. He and his wife purchased and renovated a home in Uptown New Orleans
. They welcomed their first child, a son named Baylen Robert Brees in 2009. Their second son, Bowen Christopher Brees, was born the next year.
With the news about the Brees adding a new member to their family, Drew also told his Twitter fans they did not have a name for the second baby boy and asked his 283,770 followers for name suggestions that started with the letter B. After a few days and thousands of suggestions they decided to name his baby boy Bowen. Bowen's elder brother, Baylen, was 21 months at the time of his birth.
On July 6, 2010, Brees released his first book, entitled Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity, co-authored by Chris Fabry and published by Tyndale House
. Coming Back Stronger opened at number 3 on the non-fiction bestseller list of The New York Times
.
Brees' mother, Mina Brees, died on August 7, 2009, aged 59. The death was ruled a suicide. Brees was briefly excused from training camp for a "family matter". In 2006, Brees had described their relationship as "nonexistent" ever since he refused to hire her as his agent when he entered the NFL. After her death, Brees stated that this quote was three years old and that his relationship with his mother had been improving.
In April 2010, Brees was voted by fans as the cover athlete of EA Sports
Madden NFL 11
video game.
On March 30, 2010, Brees became the national spokesperson for AdvoCare International
, a multi-level marketing company producing weight management, nutritional supplements, and personal care products.
Brees revealed in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, which aired in September, 2010, that he was a top ranking youth tennis player who defeated Andy Roddick
in competition. In a final match versus Roddick he was soundly beaten however.
In October 2010, Brees appeared in a video where he gave a strong anti-bullying message in the wake of a series of gay teenage suicides. The text of his speech included "If you think that making fun of someone is harmless, you’re wrong. If you think it’s OK to do because everyone else is doing it, you’re wrong. Bullying has to stop, and it has to start with you."
profile) "an athlete as adored and appreciated as any in an American city today". When Sports Illustrated selected him for the 2010 Sportsman of the Year
award, it said the award was "[f]or not only leading the New Orleans Saints to the first Super Bowl title in the franchise's history, but also for helping lead the city of New Orleans' rebirth after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina".
Brees has been involved in Hurricane Katrina recovery
.
Drew and Brittany’s Brees Dream Foundation announced a partnership in 2007 with international children’s charity Operation Kids
, to rebuild and restore and recreate academic and athletic facilities, parks and playgrounds, after-school programs, mentoring programs for the intellectually disabled, neighborhood revitalization projects and child care facilities in New Orleans.
Brees has acquired the nickname "Breesus" among Saints fans.
Brees visited the Guantanamo Bay detention camp on a USO tour in late June 2009. Following his return, Brees was quoted as stating that Guantanamo captives were being treated ten times better than convicts in U.S. prisons.
In February 2008, Brees signed a promotional deal with Chili's Grill & Bar
to promote the chain's new line of hamburgers. The promotion helped raise money for charity. In June 2008, Brees participated in the Pro Sports Team Challenge, a competition for pro athletes to help raise money for charities. The charity Brees played for was Operation Kids
.
On February 18, 2007, Brees was honored by the Krewe of Bacchus
, a New Orleans Mardi Gras
parade club, as the 2007 Bacchus Grand Marshal.
Brees again presided as Bacchus during the 2010 parade on February 14, 2010, one week after the Super Bowl during Mardi Gras season.
In June 2010, President Obama appointed Brees to be co-chair of the newly renamed President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, along with former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes
.
In 2010, as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
, Brees appeared in a commercial to raise awareness of the spill. Also starring in the commercial were Sandra Bullock
, Peyton
and Eli Manning
, Jack Del Rio
, Emeril Lagasse
, James Carville
, Blake Lively
, and John Goodman
.
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
.
Brees has been selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
five times in his career – with the Chargers in 2004
2005 Pro Bowl
The 2005 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played February 13, 2005 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38 - NFC 27. The most valuable player was Peyton Manning of the Colts. The game holds the record as the latest Pro Bowl played during the calendar year.-Game summary:The game...
and the Saints in 2006
2007 Pro Bowl
The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
, 2008
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
, 2009
2010 Pro Bowl
The 2010 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2009 season. It took place at 8:00 PM EST on Sunday, January 31, 2010, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins and host site of Super Bowl XLIV...
, and 2010
2011 Pro Bowl
The 2011 AFC–NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2010 season. It took place at 7:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 30, 2011 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii...
. He was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year
NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award
The NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has been given out after every season since 1972 by Pro Football Weekly. The player named Comeback Player of the Year shows perseverance in overcoming adversity, in the form of not being in the NFL the previous year, a severe injury, or simply poor...
in 2004, the Offensive Player of the Year in 2008, and the MVP
Super Bowl MVP
The Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, or Super Bowl MVP, is an award presented annually to the most valuable player of the Super Bowl, the National Football League's championship game. The winner is chosen by a fan vote during the game and by a panel of 16 American football writers and...
of Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
. He was also selected by voters to appear on the cover of Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
' Madden NFL 11
Madden NFL 11
Madden NFL 11 is an American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 22nd annual installment in the bestselling Madden NFL video game franchise. It was released on August 10, 2010 in North America, and on August 13 in...
. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
named him as its 2010 Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
.
High school
Brees was selected as Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player in 1996 and led the Westlake High School football team to 16-0 record and state championship. As a high school football player, Brees completed 314 of 490 passes (64.1 percent) for 5,461 yards with 50 touchdowns including, in his senior season, 211 of 333 passes (63.4 percent) for 3,528 yards with 31 touchdowns. Westlake went 28-0-1 when Brees started for two seasons and beat Abilene Cooper High SchoolAbilene Cooper High School
Cooper High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Abilene, Texas. It opened in 1960, in part to handle the increase in school age youth resulting from the Post World War II Baby Boom...
55-15 in the 1996 title game.
College career
Brees graduated from Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
with a degree in industrial management. He left Purdue with Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
records in passing yards (11,792), touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
passes (90), total offensive yards (12,693), completions (1,026), and attempts (1,678). He led the Boilermakers
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
to the 2001 Rose Bowl
2001 Rose Bowl
The 2001 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 1, 2001. It was the 87th Rose Bowl game. The University of Washington Huskies football team defeated the Purdue University Boilermakers football team 34-24...
, Purdue's first appearance there since 1967. In the game Purdue lost by ten points to the Washington Huskies. Brees was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award
Davey O'Brien Award
The Davey O'Brien Award, officially the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, named after Davey O'Brien, is presented annually to the collegiate American football player adjudged by the Davey O'Brien Foundation to be the best of all National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterbacks. The...
as the nation's best quarterback in 1999. He won the Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
as the nation's outstanding player of 2000 and won the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
's Today's Top VIII Award
Today's Top VIII Award
The Today's Top VIII Award is given each year by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to honor eight outstanding senior student-athletes of the preceding calendar year. From 1973 through 1985, this award was known as the Today's Top V Award or the Top Five Award and was given to honor five...
as a member of the Class of 2001. Brees was also fourth in Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
voting in 1999 and third in 2000. Brees also set an NCAA record with the longest pass ever (99 yards), to receiver Vinny Sutherland
Vinny Sutherland
Vincent Joseph Sutherland is a former professional American football player who played wide receiver for two seasons in the National Football League for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears. He was a standout receiver and kick returner for Purdue University from 1997-2000...
against Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's Division I sports teams. The mascot is Willie the Wildcat...
on September 25, 1999
As a senior, Brees was named the Academic All-America
Academic All-America
Academic All-America program is a student-athlete recognition program...
Player of the Year, the first Purdue player since Bruce Brineman (1989) to earn national academic honors. Brees also was awarded Purdue's Leonard Wilson Award for unselfishness and dedication. To continue his education and improve his ability to pursue reasoned business ventures and opportunities, Brees also attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business
Stanford Graduate School of Business
The Stanford Graduate School of Business is one of the professional schools of Stanford University, in Stanford, California and is broadly regarded as one of the best business schools in the world.The Stanford GSB offers a general management Master of Business Administration degree, the Sloan...
for NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurship in 2008.
Notable awards
- Outback BowlOutback BowlThe Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
MVP - Alamo BowlAlamo BowlThe Alamo Bowl is a major American college football bowl game played annually since 1993 in the 65,000-seat Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. It matches the second choice team from the Pacific-12 Conference and the third choice team from the Big 12 Conference.Traditionally, the Alamo Bowl has been...
MVP - Big Ten Football MVPChicago Tribune Silver FootballThe Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
(2000) - Maxwell AwardMaxwell AwardThe Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
(2000) - NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2004)
- NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2008)
- MVP (Super Bowl XLIV)Most Valuable PlayerIn sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
(2010)
2001 NFL Draft
Brees' college success led to projections that he would be a mid-to-late first round draft pick in the 2001 NFL Draft2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
, but he slipped due to concerns about his relatively short stature for a professional quarterback (6'0"), a perceived lack of arm strength, and a sense that he had succeeded in college in a system designed for him. Ultimately, Brees was the second quarterback selected in the 2001 draft, chosen by the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as the first pick of the second round.
San Diego originally had the first pick in that draft, but traded it to Atlanta
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(which used it to draft Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
) in return for the fifth pick of the first round, with which San Diego drafted LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
.
Early career
Brees played in his first professional game on November 4, 2001 against the Kansas City ChiefsKansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. He had won the starting job over Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
during training camp before the start of the 2002 season
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
. Brees started all 16 games for the Chargers during the 2002 season, leading the team to an 8-8 record. After a disappointing start to the 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
he was replaced by Flutie.
Brees' career with the Chargers was put in jeopardy after San Diego acquired NC State's Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers
Philip Rivers is an American football quarterback for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League . He was one half of the Manning-Rivers draft trade which sent him to San Diego and the 1st overall pick, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, to the New York Giants. Rivers played college...
. After the trade, it was almost certain Brees' days as the Chargers' starting QB were over. However, Rivers held out nearly all of training camp. Brees therefore remained the starter throughout the 2004 season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
, where he started every game and led the team to a 12-4 regular season record. The Chargers won the AFC West and Brees was selected to the 2004 NFL Pro Bowl. He was named 2004 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
2005
Brees became a free agent after the season and was not expected to return to San Diego, which had already committed a large sum of money to Rivers. The team eventually designated Brees a franchise playerFranchise player
In professional sports, a franchise player is an athlete who is not simply the best player on their team, but a player that the team can build their "franchise" around for the foreseeable future...
, giving him a one-year contract that quadrupled his pay to $8 million for 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
.
Under the terms of the franchise player contract, Brees was eligible to be traded or sign with another team, but the Chargers would receive two future first round draft choices in return. He was not traded and continued as starting quarterback for the remainder of the 2005 season.
Brees continued his productive play in 2005, as he posted a career high in passing yards with 3,576. Brees also posted an 89.2 rating, 10th best in the NFL. However, in the last game of the 2005 season against the Denver Broncos
2005 Denver Broncos season
In 2005 the Denver Broncos ended the 2005 regular season with a 13–3 record, the franchise's second-best number of wins of all time and their third best win percentage ever. They won their first playoff game since winning Super Bowl XXXIII in the 1998 season...
, Brees tore his labrum
Glenoidal labrum
The glenoid labrum is a fibrocartilaginous rim attached around the margin of the glenoid cavity in the shoulder blade. The shoulder joint is considered a 'ball and socket' joint. However, in bony terms the 'socket' is quite shallow and small, covering at most only a third of the 'ball'...
while trying to pick up his own fumble after being hit by Broncos safety John Lynch
John Lynch (American football)
John Terrence Lynch, Jr. is a former National Football League strong safety and current NFL on Fox color commentator. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stanford.A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super...
. Denver tackle Gerard Warren hit Brees while he was on the ground, causing the injury. Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery, performed by Dr. James Andrews, to repair the torn labrum
Glenoidal labrum
The glenoid labrum is a fibrocartilaginous rim attached around the margin of the glenoid cavity in the shoulder blade. The shoulder joint is considered a 'ball and socket' joint. However, in bony terms the 'socket' is quite shallow and small, covering at most only a third of the 'ball'...
in his right (throwing) shoulder on January 5, 2006. Subsequent reports mentioned additional rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
damage and he also was treated by Dr. Saby Szajowitz to recover and regain muscle movement.
Brees was selected as first alternate to the AFC
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
team for the 2005 season. He would have played in his second consecutive Pro Bowl due to the injury to starter Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
, but his own injury dictated that the AFC Pro Bowl roster would have to be filled by second alternate Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
.
After the season, the Chargers offered Brees a 5-year, $50 million contract that paid $2 million in base salary the first year and the rest heavily based on performance incentives. Brees evaluated the incentive-based offer as a sign of no confidence by the Chargers and promptly demanded the salary a top 5 "franchise" quarterback would receive.
New Orleans Saints
After the Chargers refused to increase their offer, Brees met with other teams. The New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
were interested. New Orleans made an offer that included $10 million in guaranteed money the first year and a $12 million option the second year. Miami was unsure if Brees' shoulder was completely healed and doctors suggested the team not sign him because of the injury. The Dolphins ended negotiations and traded for Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
QB Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
instead. Brees signed a 6-year, $60 million deal with the Saints on March 14, 2006.
2006
Brees had a productive first year with the Saints, as the team, under first-year head coach Sean PaytonSean Payton
Patrick Sean Payton is the current head coach of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Payton was a quarterback at Naperville Central High School and Eastern Illinois University and played professionally in 1987 and 1988...
, rebounded from its disastrous 2005 season
2005 New Orleans Saints season
The 2005 New Orleans Saints season began with the team trying to improve from their 8–8 record from 2004. The Saints played two preseason games in the Louisiana Superdome before being forced to evacuate New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina...
(when the team was unable to play in New Orleans due to the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
and struggled to a 3–13 record) to finish with a 10–6 regular season record and won the NFC South division title. Brees threw a league-leading 4,418 passing yards, finished third in the league with 26 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions and a 96.2 passer rating. Brees was named starting quarterback for the NFC in the 2007 Pro Bowl
2007 Pro Bowl
The 2007 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl took place on February 10, 2007, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was held on a Saturday instead of the usual Sunday after the Super Bowl because of a request by broadcaster CBS....
. On January 5, 2007, Brees was named first runner-up behind former teammate Tomlinson for league MVP by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. Brees and Tomlinson were co-recipients of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
Walter Payton Man of the Year Award
The Walter Payton Man of the Year award is given annually by the National Football League honoring a player's volunteer and charity work, as well as his excellence on the field. Prior to 1999, it was called simply the NFL Man of the Year Award...
.
On January 13, 2007, in his first playoff game for New Orleans, Brees was 20–32 in passing attempts with 1 touchdown and no interceptions against the Philadelphia Eagles
2006 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2006 Philadelphia Eagles season ended in the Eagles finishing 10–6, reclaiming the NFC East, and winning a playoff game at home. The season ended in a Divisional Round playoff loss to the New Orleans Saints, but was seen as a success in the face of the adversity of losing starting quarterback...
in the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
. The Saints held on to win 27–24, and advanced to the franchise's first NFC Championship Game against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Though he completed 27 of 49 passes for 354 yards against the Chicago Bears
2006 Chicago Bears season
The 2006 Chicago Bears season was their 87th regular season and 25th post-season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 13-3 regular season record, the best in the NFC, improving on their previous year’s record of 11-5...
, and two touchdowns, Brees committed three costly turnovers, and was penalized for an intentional grounding in the endzone, resulting in a safety, as the Saints lost 39–14. Brees then dislocated his left elbow during the first quarter of the Pro Bowl.
2007
The following season2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
Brees passed for 4423 yards and tied a then team record with 28 touchdowns. He also set the NFL record previously held by Rich Gannon for pass completions in a single season with 440. However, the Saints
2007 New Orleans Saints season
-Game summary:The 2007 New Orleans Saints began their regular season in the annual Thursday night Kickoff game against the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. In the first quarter, New Orleans trailed early as Super Bowl XLI MVP Peyton Manning completed a 27-yard TD pass to WR Marvin...
missed the playoffs.
2008
In 20082008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, the Saints again missed the playoffs but Brees had a strong year statistically, finishing 15 yards short of the NFL record for passing yards thrown in a single season set by Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
in 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
. He finished the season with 5,069 yards and became the second quarterback in NFL history to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season. He passed for 300 yards ten times during the season, tying Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon
Richard Joseph Gannon is a former football quarterback, who achieved most of his success late in his career with the Oakland Raiders in the National Football League...
's 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
record. He was named FedEx Air Player of the Week
FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week
Every week during the NFL season, six finalists are chosen for the FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Week award, 3 nominated as the FedEx Air player and 3 nominated as the FedEx Ground player , online at...
for his performances during weeks 8 and 12 and was named the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
2008 Offensive Player of the Year.
2009 Super Bowl Season
In the first game of the 2009 season2009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
against the Detroit Lions
2009 Detroit Lions season
The 2009 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 80th season overall in the National Football League. The Lions spent the whole season at the bottom of their division and finished at 2–14. The 2009 season was the first season with the Lions for new head coach Jim Schwartz, and most of his new...
, Brees set a career-high and franchise-tying record with six touchdown passes, (NFL record for opening week) going 26/34 for 358 yards. The next week, Brees led the Saints to a 48–22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles
2009 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2009 Philadelphia Eagles season was the 77th season for the team in the National Football League. After advancing to their fifth NFC Championship game in eight years, the Eagles improved upon their 9–6–1 record and second-place finish in the NFC East in their 2008 campaign...
, throwing for 311 yards and three touchdown passes. Brees also tied the record for most touchdown passes by the end of week 2 with 9. In week 6 against the 5–0 New York Giants
2009 New York Giants season
The 2009 New York Giants season was the 85th season for the team in the National Football League. It was the team's final season in Giants Stadium; In 2010, the Giants moved into New Meadowlands Stadium. The Giants hoped to improve upon their 12–4 record, avenge their divisional round loss to the...
, Brees completed 23 of 30 passes for 369 yards, 4 touchdown passes and a passer rating of 156.8 in a dominant 48–27 victory.
In week 7, Brees led a dramatic comeback victory on the road against the Miami Dolphins
2009 Miami Dolphins season
The 2009 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 40th season in the National Football League and 44th overall. The Dolphins entered the 2009 season as the reigning AFC East champions after posting an 11–5 record in 2008...
, 46–34. The Saints
2009 New Orleans Saints season
The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the...
quickly faced a 24–3 deficit in the second quarter, trailing for the first time all season at that point, and failing to score on their first possession as they had in all of their previous contests. Brees had a poor outing, but provided two crucial rushing touchdowns, one just before halftime to narrow the deficit to 24–10, and one in the third quarter to give the Saints their first lead of the game, 37–34.
The next week, Brees threw for 308 yards on 25 of 33 passing along with two touchdowns and one interception in leading the Saints to a 35–27 victory and franchise tying best start at 7–0 against the rival Atlanta Falcons
2009 Atlanta Falcons season
The 2009 Atlanta Falcons season was the 44th season for the team in the National Football League. The team looked to match or improve upon their 11–5 record from 2008 and return to the playoffs, however the Falcons were eliminated from contention in Week 15...
. In week 9, Brees helped guide the team to a 30–20 victory over the Carolina Panthers
2009 Carolina Panthers season
The 2009 Carolina Panthers season was the 15th season for the team in the National Football League. They failed to improve on their franchise-record 12–4 season in 2008 and also failed to make the playoffs.-2009 NFL Draft:-Trades:...
. This would be Drew's first victory over the Carolina Panthers in the Superdome and gave the Saints their best ever start in franchise history at 8–0.
In week 12, Brees led the Saints to an 11–0 record, defeating the New England Patriots
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
38–17 on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. Drew Brees totaled 371 yards passing, posting a perfect passer rating of 158.3.
After close victories over the Washington Redskins
2009 Washington Redskins season
The 2009 Washington Redskins season is the 77th season for the team in the National Football League. They failed to improve upon their 8–8 record from 2008, which resulted in Jim Zorn being fired after two seasons.-Movement:...
and Falcons in successive weeks to start 13–0, Brees and the Saints lost their first game of the season to the Dallas Cowboys
2009 Dallas Cowboys season
The 2009 Dallas Cowboys season is the 50th season for the team in the National Football League. It is the team's first season playing at Cowboys Stadium. Their victory over the Oakland Raiders on November 26 extended their Thanksgiving winning streak to four in a row and also ended a three game...
, 24–17, after DeMarcus Ware
Demarcus Ware
DeMarcus Ware is an American football linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted with the 11th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft out of Troy University...
caused a Brees fumble in the final seconds, ending a fourth quarter rally. The Saints would then lose their last two games, with Brees sitting out the week 17 finale against Carolina. Their 13–3 record secured the #1 seed in the NFC.
Brees' individual statistics led to numerous accolades, including a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection, the Maxwell Football Club
Maxwell Football Club
The Maxwell Football Club was established in 1935 to promote safety in the game of American football. Named in honor of the late Robert W...
's Bert Bell Award
Bert Bell Award
The Bert Bell Award for the Professional American football Player of the Year is presented by the Maxwell Football Club. This award is named in honor of Bert Bell , Commissioner of the National Football League and founder of the Maxwell Club...
, and runner-up in voting for the AP MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
awards. He finished the season with a completion percentage of 70.62, establishing a new NFL record.
In the divisional round of the playoffs, the Saints routed the Arizona Cardinals
2009 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2009 Arizona Cardinals season is the 90th season for the team in the National Football League and the 22nd season in Arizona. The Cardinals finished the season with a 10–6 record, an improvement from their 9–7 previous season record and the first time the team has won ten games since 1976 The...
45–14 to advance to the NFC Championship, where they defeated the Minnesota Vikings
2009 Minnesota Vikings season
The 2009 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 49th season in the NFL. The Vikings improved upon their 10–6 record and defended their NFC North title from 2008; it was the first time that they had retained a divisional title since they won six NFC Central titles in a row between 1973 and 1978...
31–28 in overtime. Brees completed 17 of 31 passes for 191 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The underdog Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts
2009 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2009 Indianapolis Colts season was the 57th season for the team in the National Football League and the 26th in Indianapolis. It was the first season since 2002 that the Colts did not have Tony Dungy on their coaching staff, due to his retirement from coaching...
31–17 in Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
on February 7, 2010. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award. He threw for 288 yards and 2 touchdowns. It was the first league championship in Saints franchise history. Brees was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, both for his winning the Super Bowl and his charitable work towards the reconstruction of New Orleans. On December 17, 2010, he was named AP Male Athlete of the Year.
2010
In 2010, the franchise attempted to better their most successful season in franchise history from 2009, which they began undefeated for 13 consecutive games only to lose their last three games at the end of the season to finish 13–3. In addition, they also attempted to win the NFC South Division title for the third time in history, earn their first second consecutive playoff berth since 1991, and successfully defend their conference and league championships. The Saints qualified for the playoffs as a wild card team with a impressive 11-5 record, but were eliminated in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks, 41-36. Despite the disappointing end to the season, Brees was selected to his fourth Pro Bowl and was voted the No. 9 NFL player of 2011 by his peers. Presented by Jonathan Vilma and Sean Payton.2011
Drew Brees began the 2011 season against the Super Bowl champs, Green Bay Packers, in a close loss, 42-34. Despite the loss, Brees posted his 7th career 400-plus passing game, with 419 yards, also throwing for 3 Touchdowns and zero interceptions, for a 112.5 passer rating.In week 2, Drew Brees defeats the Chicago Bears during the Saints's home-opener for the first time in his career as a starting quarterback, with 270 yards, 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions.
With his first win over the Bears, Brees has defeated all NFL teams except the Baltimore Ravens.
Also of note, with the 79 yard TD pass to Devery Henderson in the 2nd quarter, Brees extended his streak of games with at least one passing TD to 29, which is 1 game behind Dan Marino and 7 behind Brett Favre, who both have 30 and 36 games with at least one TD pass thrown respectively. Johnny Unitas has the all time record with 47 straight games with a TD pass, but Brees streak is the fourth-longest in the NFL since 1950. Brees has not been held without a TD pass since Week 4 of the 2009 season, a 24-10 road win over the New York Jets. He has thrown 62 TD passes during the streak, which does not include four playoff games in which he also threw at least one TD pass.
In week 3 against the Houston Texans, Brees threw 3 touchdown passes to extend his streak to 30 games with at least one passing TD, tying Dan Marino. He also completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 370 yards, completing 31 of his 44 passes in a 40-33 home win.
In week 12’s Monday night hosting of the NY Giants, the Saints routed the Giants 49-24 aided by Brees' stellar performance.
Career statistics
| Year | Team | G-S | Passing Att.-Comp. |
Yards | Pct. | TD | Int. | Long | Sacks-Lost | Pass Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 2001 San Diego Chargers season -Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
San Diego San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
1–0 | 27–15 | 221 | .556 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 2–12 | 94.8 |
| 2002 2002 San Diego Chargers season The 2002 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2001. It was Marty Schottenheimer's first season as the team's head coach... |
San Diego | 16–16 | 526–320 | 3,284 | .608 | 17 | 16 | 52 | 24–180 | 76.9 |
| 2003 2003 San Diego Chargers season The 2003 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 8–8 record in 2002. They finished the campaign 4th in their division and earned the #1 pick in the 2004 NFL draft... |
San Diego | 11–11 | 356–205 | 2,108 | .576 | 11 | 15 | 68 | 21–178 | 67.5 |
| 2004 2004 San Diego Chargers season The 2004 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2003. They finished the campaign 1st in their division and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years. In the playoffs they lost in overtime to the New York Jets... |
San Diego | 15–15 | 400–262 | 3,159 | .655 | 27 | 7 | 79 | 18–131 | 104.8 |
| 2005 2005 San Diego Chargers season The 2005 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 12–4 record in 2004. They finished the campaign 3rd in their division and as a result missed out on the playoffs. Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was named rookie of the Year at the end of the season.-NFL... |
San Diego | 16–16 | 500–323 | 3,576 | .646 | 24 | 15 | 54 | 27–223 | 89.2 |
| 2006 2006 New Orleans Saints season The 2006 New Orleans Saints season began with the team trying to improve on their 3-13 record in 2005. All of the team's 2006 regular season home games were played in the Louisiana Superdome, which had been damaged all of the previous season by Hurricane Katrina... |
New Orleans New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League .... |
16–16 | 554–356 | 4,418 | .643 | 26 | 11 | 86 | 18–105 | 96.2 |
| 2007 2007 New Orleans Saints season -Game summary:The 2007 New Orleans Saints began their regular season in the annual Thursday night Kickoff game against the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts. In the first quarter, New Orleans trailed early as Super Bowl XLI MVP Peyton Manning completed a 27-yard TD pass to WR Marvin... |
New Orleans | 16–16 | 652–440 | 4,423 | .675 | 28 | 18 | 58 | 16–109 | 89.4 |
| 2008 2008 New Orleans Saints season The 2008 New Orleans Saints season is the 42nd season for the team in the National Football League . The Saints entered the season in an attempt improve their 7-9 record from the 2007 season.-Pre-season:-Regular season:... |
New Orleans | 16–16 | 635–413 | 5,069 | .650 | 34 | 17 | 84 | 13–92 | 96.2 |
| 2009 2009 New Orleans Saints season The 2009 New Orleans Saints season is the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League and the most successful in franchise history in which they won Super Bowl XLIV. The Saints recorded a franchise record 13 victories, an improvement on their 8–8 record and fourth place finish in the... |
New Orleans | 15–15 | 514–363 | 4,388 | .706 | 34 | 11 | 75 | 20–135 | 109.6 |
| 2010 2010 New Orleans Saints season The 2010 New Orleans Saints season was the 44th season for the franchise in the National Football League and city of New Orleans, Louisiana, and was the 35th to host home games in the Louisiana Superdome. The Saints entered their season for the first time as defending Super Bowl and National... |
New Orleans | 16-16 | 658-448 | 4,620 | .681 | 33 | 22 | 80 | 25–185 | 90.9 |
| Totals | 137-137 | 4,822–3,145 | 35,266 | .652 | 235 | 132 | 86 | 184–1,350 | 91.7 | |
| Postseason | 6–6 | 225–150 | 1648 | .667 | 13 | 2 | 88 | 10–61 | 103.7 | |
National Football League records
- Highest completion percentage, season – 70.62% (2009)
- Highest post-season completion percentage, career - 66.7%
- Lowest post-season interception percentage, career - 0.70%
- Most completions in a Super Bowl – 32 (Super Bowl XLIVSuper Bowl XLIVSuper Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
; tied with Tom BradyTom BradyThomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
) - Most consecutive seasons with 4000+ passing yards and 30+ Touchdowns - 3 (tied with Dan MarinoDan MarinoDaniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
) - Most games with 20+ completions, season - 16 (2010)
- Most passing completions per game, career - 22.8 comp/game
- Most passing attempts per game, career - 34.9 att/game
- Most completions in a playoff game - 39 (at Seattle, 1/8/2011)
- Most pass attempts in a playoff game with zero interceptions - 60 (at Seattle, 1/8/2011)
- Most consecutive games with 350+ yards passing - 4 (2011)
- Most consecutive games with at least 20 completions - 31
New Orleans Saints franchise records
- Highest Comp. %, Career (Min. 500 attempts) – 65.7%
- Highest Comp. %, Season (Min. 14 attempts/game) – 70.62% (2009)
- Highest YPA, Career (Min. 500 attempts) – 7.56
- Highest YPA, Season (Min. 14 attempts/game) – 8.5 (2009)
- Highest Passer Rating, Career (Min. 500 attempts) – 93.8
- Highest Passer Rating, Season (Min. 14 attempts/game) – 109.6 (2009)
- Most Completions, Season – 448 (2010)
- Most Completions, Game – 39 vs. Denver, 9/21/2008
- Most Consecutive Completions – 19 (12/27/09)
- Most Pass Attempts, Season – 658 (2010)
- Most Pass Attempts, Game – 60 (tied with Aaron Brooks)
- Most Passing Yards, Season – 5069 (2008) (Second highest in NFL history)
- Most Passing Yards, Game – 510 vs. Cincinnati, 11/19/2006 (seventh highest in NFL history)
- Most 4000 Yard Passing Seasons – 5
- Most Consecutive 4000 Yard Passing Seasons – 5 (2006–10)
- Most Games w/300+ Yards Passing, Season – 10 (2008)
- Most Consecutive Games w/300+ Yards Passing – 5 (2006)
- Most Touchdown Passes, Season – 34 (2008 and 2009)
- Most Touchdown Passes, Game – 6 (9/13/2009) (tied with Billy KilmerBilly KilmerWilliam Orland Kilmer, Jr. was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins...
) - Most Touchdown Passes On Opening Day, 6 (2009)
- Most Touchdown Passes, Career – 182
San Diego Chargers franchise records
- Highest Comp. %, Season (Min. 14 attempts/game) – 65.5% (2004)
- Highest Comp. %, Game (Min. 20 attempts) – 88.0% vs. Oakland 10/31/2004
- Highest Comp. %, Playoff Game (Min. 10 attempts) – 73.8% vs. NY Jets 1/8/2005
- Most Consecutive Attempts, None Intercepted – 194 (Oct. 17 through Dec. 5 2004)
Other notable accomplishments
- Second place with most consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass:Most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (NFL)Johnny Unitas played 47 consecutive games in which he threw at least one touchdown pass. His record has not been seriously challenged since the streak ended December 11, 1960....
(38) - First QB in NFL History to surpass 3,000 passing yards by Week 9. (3,004 yards)
Personal life
Brees was born in Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
to Chip and Mina Brees, who named their son after Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
wide receiver Drew Pearson
Drew Pearson (American football)
Drew Pearson is a sportscaster and former American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-Early years:...
. His uncle, Marty Akins, was an All-American starting quarterback for the Texas Longhorns
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
college football team from 1975 to 1977. Chip Brees played basketball for the Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team
Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University....
, and his grandfather, Ray Akins, had the third-most victories as a Texas high school football coach.
Brees married his college sweetheart, Brittany Dudchenko, in February 2003. They both met and dated while attending Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
. He and his wife purchased and renovated a home in Uptown New Orleans
Uptown New Orleans
Uptown is a section of New Orleans, Louisiana on the East Bank of the Mississippi River encompassing a number of neighborhoods between the French Quarter and the Jefferson Parish line. It remains an area of mixed residential and small commercial properties, with a wealth of 19th century architecture...
. They welcomed their first child, a son named Baylen Robert Brees in 2009. Their second son, Bowen Christopher Brees, was born the next year.
With the news about the Brees adding a new member to their family, Drew also told his Twitter fans they did not have a name for the second baby boy and asked his 283,770 followers for name suggestions that started with the letter B. After a few days and thousands of suggestions they decided to name his baby boy Bowen. Bowen's elder brother, Baylen, was 21 months at the time of his birth.
On July 6, 2010, Brees released his first book, entitled Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity, co-authored by Chris Fabry and published by Tyndale House
Tyndale House
Tyndale House is a publisher founded in 1962 by Kenneth N. Taylor, in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles, which he had composed while commuting to work at Moody Press in Chicago. The book appeared under the title Living Letters, and received a television endorsement from Billy Graham...
. Coming Back Stronger opened at number 3 on the non-fiction bestseller list of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
.
Brees' mother, Mina Brees, died on August 7, 2009, aged 59. The death was ruled a suicide. Brees was briefly excused from training camp for a "family matter". In 2006, Brees had described their relationship as "nonexistent" ever since he refused to hire her as his agent when he entered the NFL. After her death, Brees stated that this quote was three years old and that his relationship with his mother had been improving.
In April 2010, Brees was voted by fans as the cover athlete of EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
Madden NFL 11
Madden NFL 11
Madden NFL 11 is an American football video game based on the National Football League published by EA Sports and developed by EA Tiburon. It is the 22nd annual installment in the bestselling Madden NFL video game franchise. It was released on August 10, 2010 in North America, and on August 13 in...
video game.
On March 30, 2010, Brees became the national spokesperson for AdvoCare International
AdvoCare
AdvoCare International, L.P. is a nutrition, weight-loss, energy and sports performance products company. The company was founded in 1993 by Charles Ragus and employs around 247 people in the United States...
, a multi-level marketing company producing weight management, nutritional supplements, and personal care products.
Brees revealed in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, which aired in September, 2010, that he was a top ranking youth tennis player who defeated Andy Roddick
Andy Roddick
Andrew Stephen "Andy" Roddick is an American professional tennis player and a former World No. 1. He is currently the second highest-ranked American player, behind Mardy Fish....
in competition. In a final match versus Roddick he was soundly beaten however.
In October 2010, Brees appeared in a video where he gave a strong anti-bullying message in the wake of a series of gay teenage suicides. The text of his speech included "If you think that making fun of someone is harmless, you’re wrong. If you think it’s OK to do because everyone else is doing it, you’re wrong. Bullying has to stop, and it has to start with you."
Charity and volunteer activities
Drew Brees is active in a number of charitable activities. As a result of both his on-field success with the Saints and his extensive charitable activities since arriving in New Orleans, Brees has become (in the words of a 2010 Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
profile) "an athlete as adored and appreciated as any in an American city today". When Sports Illustrated selected him for the 2010 Sportsman of the Year
Sportsman of the Year
Since its inception in 1954, Sports Illustrated magazine has annually presented the "Sportsman of the Year" award to "the athlete or team whose performance that year most embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement." Both Americans and non-Americans are eligible, though in the past the...
award, it said the award was "[f]or not only leading the New Orleans Saints to the first Super Bowl title in the franchise's history, but also for helping lead the city of New Orleans' rebirth after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina".
Brees has been involved in Hurricane Katrina recovery
Reconstruction of New Orleans
The Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 caused significant problems due to the breach of the flood protection system designed after 1965 to protect the city. Over 204,000 homes in New Orleans were damaged or destroyed, and more than 800,000 citizens displaced — the greatest displacement in the United...
.
Drew and Brittany’s Brees Dream Foundation announced a partnership in 2007 with international children’s charity Operation Kids
Operation Kids
Operation Kids is a public 501 nonprofit organizationfounded in 1999 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Operation Kids provides customized philanthropic services at no cost to donors seeking to give money to children's organizations....
, to rebuild and restore and recreate academic and athletic facilities, parks and playgrounds, after-school programs, mentoring programs for the intellectually disabled, neighborhood revitalization projects and child care facilities in New Orleans.
Brees has acquired the nickname "Breesus" among Saints fans.
Brees visited the Guantanamo Bay detention camp on a USO tour in late June 2009. Following his return, Brees was quoted as stating that Guantanamo captives were being treated ten times better than convicts in U.S. prisons.
In February 2008, Brees signed a promotional deal with Chili's Grill & Bar
Chili's
Chili's Grill & Bar is a restaurant chain founded by Larry Lavine. The chain has more than 1400 casual dining restaurants, mostly located in the United States and Canada...
to promote the chain's new line of hamburgers. The promotion helped raise money for charity. In June 2008, Brees participated in the Pro Sports Team Challenge, a competition for pro athletes to help raise money for charities. The charity Brees played for was Operation Kids
Operation Kids
Operation Kids is a public 501 nonprofit organizationfounded in 1999 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Operation Kids provides customized philanthropic services at no cost to donors seeking to give money to children's organizations....
.
Krewe of Bacchus
The Krewe of Bacchus is an organization that parades during the New Orleans Mardi Gras, on the Sunday evening before Mardi Gras. Bacchus was founded in 1968 by Owen Brennan, Jr. as one of the first modern "superkrewes," defined by their size, spectacular floats, and celebrity riders...
, a New Orleans Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras
The terms "Mardi Gras" , "Mardi Gras season", and "Carnival season", in English, refer to events of the Carnival celebrations, beginning on or after Epiphany and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday...
parade club, as the 2007 Bacchus Grand Marshal.
Brees again presided as Bacchus during the 2010 parade on February 14, 2010, one week after the Super Bowl during Mardi Gras season.
In June 2010, President Obama appointed Brees to be co-chair of the newly renamed President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, along with former Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes
Dominique Dawes
Dominique Margaux Dawes is a retired United States artistic gymnast. She was 10-year member of the U.S. national gymnastics team, the 1994 U.S. all-around senior National Champion, a three-time Olympian, a World Championships silver medalist and a member of the gold-medal winning "Magnificent...
.
In 2010, as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
, Brees appeared in a commercial to raise awareness of the spill. Also starring in the commercial were Sandra Bullock
Sandra Bullock
Sandra Annette Bullock is an Academy Award winning American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Demolition Man, Speed, The Net, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, The Lake House,...
, Peyton
Peyton Manning
Peyton Williams Manning is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League . Manning holds the record for most NFL MVP awards with four. He was drafted by the Colts as the first overall pick in 1998 after a standout college football career with the...
and Eli Manning
Eli Manning
Eli Nelson Manning is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League. He is the younger brother of NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning...
, Jack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio is an American football coach and former player. Del Rio played both football and baseball for the University of Southern California Trojans, and then spent eleven years playing linebacker in the National Football League . He retired from playing in 1996 and went into coaching,...
, Emeril Lagasse
Emeril Lagasse
'Emeril John Lagasse is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur, television personality, and cookbook author. A regional James Beard Award winner, he is perhaps most notable for his Food Network shows Emeril Live and Essence of Emeril as well as catchphrases such as “Kick it up a notch!” and...
, James Carville
James Carville
Chester James Carville, Jr. is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill...
, Blake Lively
Blake Lively
Blake Christina Lively is an American actress and model who stars as Serena van der Woodsen in the television teen drama series Gossip Girl...
, and John Goodman
John Goodman
John Stephen Goodman is an American film, television, and stage actor. He is best known for his role as Dan Conner on the television series Roseanne for which he won a Best Actor Golden Globe Award in 1993, and for appearances in the films of the Coen brothers, with prominent roles in Raising...
.
See also
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards in a game
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
- List of 300-yard passing games by NFL quarterbacks
- Most wins by a starting quarterback (NFL)Most wins by a starting quarterback (NFL)In the National Football League the quarterback is the only position player to be credited with a record of wins and losses as a starter. At the time of the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, Johnny Unitas held the record for most regular season wins as a starting quarterback with 103. He retired after the 1973...
- Most consecutive starts by a quarterback (NFL)Most consecutive starts by a quarterback (NFL)This is a list of the most consecutive starts by a quarterback in the NFL. Only six quarterbacks in NFL history have been able to achieve regular season streaks of at least 100 games, with only two of those with a regular season streak of at least 200 games....
- NFL career passer rating leaders
- NFL starting quarterback playoff records