Drew Brees: The New Orleans Saints' Mircale Man

Standing only 5/8" of an inch over six feet, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees spent the first part of his pro football career trying to prove he could measure up to the prototypical NFL quarterback, after all, height was one of the principal reasons that a quarterback of Brees' caliber dropped to the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft, before finally being taken by the San Diego Chargers. It was lack of height again, (along with an untimely shoulder injury) that led the Chargers to let Brees go as a free agent at the end of the 2005 season in favor of the unproven Philip Rivers. This despite objections from players like LaDainian Tomlinson who expressed his reservation when he told Sports Illustrated, "Why break up something that's not broken?"

Yet four stellar years later, after signing with the New Orleans Saints prior to the 2006, there are few critics who would deny him a place among the elite quarterbacks in the league, especially since Brees is enjoying his best season in the NFL, getting the Saints off to a 13-0 start, while leading the league in passing with a 112.3 quarterback rating and 32 touchdown passes in the process.

Born Andrew Christopher Brees in January 15, 1979, in Dallas Texas, Bree's success this season should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed his football career since he led Westlake High School in Austin Texas to a 5A Division II State Championship title in 1996. Yet as good as his prep career was, his tenure at the University of Purdue was even better. Ignored by most major collegiate programs for his lack of height, Drew would re-write the Big Ten record book, finishing his career with Big Ten records for pass attempts (1,639), completions (1,003), passing yards (11,517), touchdown passes (88). Those lofty totals included a game in which Brees would throw an NCAA record 83 passes, while completing a record-tying 55 passes for 494 yards, in a 34-24 Purdue loss to Wisconsin. Along the way he would pick up the David O'Brien award as the nation's top quarterback in 1999, and follow that up with Maxwell Award in 2000. He would wrap up his senior season by leading the Boilermakers to their first Rose Bowl in over two decades. Away from the football field, Brees would go on to earn a degree in Industrial Management, and was honored as the 2000 Academic All-American Player of the Year.

His impressive collegiate resume should have made Brees an easy first round draft pick, but all NFL teams passed on him before San Diego selected him with the first pick of the second round of the Draft. After sitting out most of his rookie season, Brees began to show the makings of an NFL caliber quarterback the following season when he started all 16 games for the Chargers, throwing for 3,284 yards and 17 touchdowns in the process. He would rebound from a lackluster 2003 season, to win the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award in 2004, a season which saw him throw for 27 touchdowns and post a 104.8 quarterback rating, a great accomplishment considering that San Diego had hedged their bets on their quarterback situation by drafting Philip Rivers of NC State with their first pick of the 2004 Draft. It was a move that prompted the Chargers to commit over $40 million to the rookie quarterback, while signing Brees to a one year deal for the 2005 season. For his part Brees would perform well for the Chargers in 2005, throwing for over 3,500 yards, before a shoulder injury during the last game of the season cast his future with the team into further doubt.

Feeling slighted by San Diego's contract offer after the season, Brees would test the NFL's free agent market, eventually settling on New Orleans after the team offered him a $60 million, 6 year contract.

His career with the Saints started out in nothing short of spectacular fashion, with Brees earning Pro Bowl honors in both 2006 and 2008. After throwing for over 4,000 yards the previous two seasons, Brees would finish 2008 with 5,069 yards passing and 34 touchdowns, a performance which would earn him the NFL Player of the Year award, and most importantly the love and admiration of a city looking for a hero after the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina. The love affair between the city and Brees would be mutual, and stretch beyond the playing field where the star quarterback is known for his charitable works in the community. It's a love affair which was summed up by noted chef and Saints season ticket holder, Emeril Lagasse, when he told Sports Illustrated, ""He is a god down here right now, he is the miracle man."

That said, there is little Brees could do for an encore, though an undefeated season and a Super Bowl victory this year may still go a long ways towards meeting his fans lofty expectations. Yet even if that expectation is not met, Drew Brees has clearly proven his name belongs along side of the NFL's best quarterbacks.

References:

Banks, Don, "The future is now: Tomlinson wants Chargers to keep Brees as the starting quarterback," Sports Illustrated Dec 6, 2004.

Corbett, Jim, "Breaking out of combine speed trap," Ustoday, February 21, 2007.

"Different approaches: Vick sticks to interviews, Brees doing it all at Combine,"Sportsillustrated.cnn.com, February 24, 2001.

Layden, Tim, "6 Drew Brees: About Face," Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1999

Layden, Tim, "Marching In," Sports Illustrated January 22, 2007.

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