New Orleans will welcome Drew Brees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, and those who played and coached with him have detailed what set him apart, according to ESPN. Brees will become the fifth primary Saints player enshrined in Canton.
Tyler Shough described seeking Brees’ help to set up an offseason throwing session in California and instead finding himself matched with the 47-year-old in a kettlebell workout, joking that he had to pick heavier weights to keep up. Running back Travis Etienne Jr., who grew up watching Brees in Louisiana, also stopped for a photo during the sessions, evidence of the former quarterback’s draw for younger players, according to ESPN.
Brees’ arm no longer functions normally after shoulder surgery performed by Dr. James Andrews about 20 years earlier, when more than 10 anchors were used, according to ESPN. He suffered a 360-degree labrum tear and a partial rotator cuff tear in his final appearance with the San Diego Chargers, the team that selected him with the 32nd pick of the 2001 NFL draft. That injury ended his Chargers tenure and led to a move to New Orleans.
In New Orleans, Brees spent 15 record-setting seasons, led the Saints to a victory in Super Bowl XLIV and played a prominent role in the city’s recovery after Hurricane Katrina, according to ESPN. He missed only one game through his first 13 seasons with the Saints; thumb and rib injuries cost him nine games in his final two seasons. Even as arm strength waned he guided the Saints to a playoff berth in 2020, and his final game was a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in front of fewer than 5,000 fans because of COVID-19 restrictions. Brees announced his retirement on Instagram on March 14, 2021.
Those who worked with him point to preparation and attention to detail as defining traits. Teammates described Brees repeating plays after defensive wins, adjusting minute details such as receiver alignment, and taking “mental reps” alone in the indoor facility on Saturdays to run through games. Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan said the truest compliment is seeing a player leave everything on the field, and he believed Brees had done just that in his final season, according to ESPN.
