Brees, Drew << breez >> (1979-…), was an outstanding quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). In 2010, he led the New Orleans Saints to the NFL championship with a victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the Super Bowl. Brees was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
During his college and professional career, Brees became known for his leadership qualities and for his accuracy as a passer. He set the NFL season record for passing yards with 5,476 yards in 2011. Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos broke Brees’s record in 2013. In 2012, Brees threw a touchdown pass in his 48th consecutive game, breaking the record set by Johnny Unitas in 1960. Later in 2012, Brees’s streak ended with a record 54 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. In 2018, Brees set the NFL season record for the highest percentage of passes completed, at 74.4 percent. During his NFL career, Brees led or tied for the league lead in passing yards 7 times, in completed passes 6 times, and in touchdown passes 4 times. Brees retired with 7,142 career pass completions, 571 career touchdown passes, and 80,358 career passing yards, second only to Tom Brady in all three categories.
Andrew Christopher Brees was born on Jan. 15, 1979, in Dallas. He was a quarterback for Purdue University from 1997 to 2000. He was selected as the Big Ten Conference Most Valuable Player in 2000. The San Diego Chargers (now the Los Angeles Chargers) selected Brees in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft, and he played with the team from 2002 to 2005. In 2006, Brees signed with New Orleans as a free agent. In his first season with the Saints, his 4,418 passing yards led the NFL.
Brees was active in helping New Orleans recover after the damage the city suffered from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. His charitable and volunteer work for the city, as well as his success with the Saints, made Brees a hero in New Orleans. He wrote an autobiography, Coming Back Stronger (2010). Brees retired from playing football in 2021. Shortly after retiring, he became a television analyst for football games.
