Drew Brees facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

"Brees" redirects here. For the surname, including a list people with the name, see Brees (surname).

Quick facts for kids
Drew Brees

Brees in 2020

No. 9

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

January 15, 1979 (age 46)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)

Weight:

209 lb (95 kg)

Career information

High school:

Westlake
(Austin, Texas)

College:

Purdue (1997–2000)

NFL Draft:

2001 / Round: 2 / Pick: 32

Career history

As player:

San Diego Chargers (2001)
New Orleans Saints (2006)

As coach:

Purdue (2022)
Interim assistant coach

Career highlights and awards

Super Bowl champion (XLIV)
Super Bowl MVP (XLIV)
2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011)
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2006)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2004)
First-team All-Pro (2006)
4× Second-team All-Pro (2008, 2009, 2011, 2018)
13× Pro Bowl (2004, 2006, 2008–2014, 2016–2019)
7× NFL passing yards leader (2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2014–2016)
4× NFL passing touchdowns leader (2008, 2009, 2011, 2012)
2× NFL passer rating leader (2009, 2018)
6× NFL completion percentage leader (2009–2011, 2017–2019)
Art Rooney Award (2018)
NFLPA Alan Page Community Award (2012)
Bart Starr Award (2011)
AP Athlete of the Year (2010)
SI Sportsperson of the Year (2010)
Bert Bell Award (2009)
George Halas Award (2007)
New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame
Maxwell Award (2000)
2× Third-team All-American (1999, 2000)
Big Ten Most Valuable Player (2000)
2× Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (1998, 2000)
2× First-team All-Big Ten (1999, 2000)
Second-team All-Big Ten (1998)
Highest completion percentage in a season: 74.4% (2018)
Most passing touchdowns in a game: 7 (tied)
Most consecutive games with a touchdown pass: 54
Most career 5,000 yards seasons: 5

Career NFL statistics

Passing attempts:	10,551
Passing completions:	7,142
Completion percentage:	67.7%
TD–INT:	571–243
Passing yards:	80,358
Passer rating:	98.7
Rushing yards:	752
Rushing touchdowns:	25

Player stats at PFR

Drew Christopher Brees (born January 15, 1979) is a famous American former football quarterback. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. Most of his career was spent with the New Orleans Saints.

Brees is known as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. He holds many records. These include the most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54 games). He is also second all-time in career passing yards, touchdown passes, and pass completions.

He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. There, he set many records for completions, attempts, and yards. Despite his college success, some worried about his height and arm strength. This caused him to be picked later in the 2001 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.

After a tough start, Brees had a great season in 2004. He earned Pro Bowl honors and was named Comeback Player of the Year. A serious shoulder injury in 2005 led the Chargers to let him go.

He then joined the New Orleans Saints. Brees helped turn the team around. Before he arrived, the Saints had only a few winning seasons. With Brees, they won their first ever Super Bowl XLIV title. He was named the game's MVP.

After 15 seasons with the Saints, Brees retired in 2020. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times. He also won Offensive Player of the Year twice. He led the NFL in passing yards a record seven times. After retiring, he worked as a football analyst. In 2022, he returned to Purdue as an assistant coach.

Early Life and High School Football

Drew Brees was born in Dallas, Texas, on January 15, 1979. His parents were both lawyers and had athletic backgrounds. His father played basketball, and his mother was a top high school athlete in three sports. His uncle and grandfather were also famous football players and coaches.

When Drew was young, he moved to the Austin area. He didn't play tackle football until high school. He was good at baseball, basketball, and football. He even thought about playing college baseball instead of football.

In high school, Brees tore a ligament in his knee. But he recovered and became a star. In 1996, he was named Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player. He led his Austin Westlake High School team to a perfect 16–0 record and a state championship. During his high school career, he threw for 5,461 yards and 50 touchdowns.

Drew was not heavily recruited by big colleges. This was despite his amazing high school record.

College Career at Purdue

Brees only received offers from two colleges: Purdue and Kentucky. He chose Purdue because of its strong academics. He earned a degree in industrial management in 2001.

After his first year, Brees became the starting quarterback for the Boilermakers. He was a key part of their unique "basketball on grass" offense. He was team captain in his junior and senior years. In 1998, he tied an NCAA record with 55 completions in one game. He also set an NCAA record with 83 pass attempts in that same game.

In 2000, Brees led Purdue to big upset wins against top teams like Ohio State and Michigan. This helped the Boilermakers win their first Big Ten championship since 1967. They even played in the 2001 Rose Bowl, their first appearance there since 1967.

Brees won the Maxwell Award in 2000 as the nation's best player. He also placed high in the Heisman Trophy voting. He was a great student too, earning academic honors multiple times.

During his college career, Brees set two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records. He threw for 11,792 yards and 90 touchdowns. In 2009, Purdue put Brees in their Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame. An award for the Big Ten's best quarterback is named after him.

College Statistics

Season	Team	GP	Passing
Season	Team	GP	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	TD	Int
1997	Purdue	8	19	43	44.2	232	0	1
1998	Purdue	13	361	569	63.4	3,983	39	20
1999	Purdue	12	337	554	60.8	3,909	25	12
2000	Purdue	12	309	512	60.4	3,668	26	12
Total		45	1,026	1,678	61.1	11,792	90	45

Professional Career Highlights

Despite his college success, some NFL teams worried about Brees's height (6 feet tall) and arm strength. He was picked by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft.

San Diego Chargers (2001–2005)

Brees started as a backup quarterback in his first year. In 2002, he became the starter and played all 16 games. The Chargers started strong but faded later in the season. In 2003, he was briefly replaced but got his starting job back.

His career with the Chargers was uncertain when they drafted another quarterback, Philip Rivers, in 2004. But Brees played very well in training camp. He led the team to a 12–4 record and won the AFC West division. He threw for 3,159 yards and 27 touchdowns. Brees was named to the 2004 Pro Bowl and won NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

In the last game of the 2005 season, Brees suffered a serious shoulder injury. This injury could have ended his career. He had surgery to repair the damage.

New Orleans Saints (2006–2020)

After his injury, the Chargers offered Brees a contract that depended heavily on his performance. Other teams were interested, but some worried about his shoulder. The New Orleans Saints offered him a six-year, $60 million deal. Brees signed with the Saints on March 14, 2006.

Bringing Success to New Orleans

Brees's arrival in New Orleans was a turning point for the Saints. The city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. The team had struggled for years. With Brees and new head coach Sean Payton, the Saints had a great first year. They finished 10–6 and won their division. Brees led the league with 4,418 passing yards. He was named a First-team All-Pro and was runner-up for league MVP.

In 2007, Brees set an NFL record with 440 pass completions in a season. He continued to put up big numbers, throwing for over 4,400 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Brees in 2008 at Fedex Field

In 2008, Brees threw for 5,069 yards. He became only the second quarterback in NFL history to pass for over 5,000 yards in a season. He was named the AP 2008 Offensive Player of the Year.

Super Bowl XLIV Victory

Brees celebrating the Super Bowl win with his son Baylen

The 2009 season was historic for Brees and the Saints. He started the season with a career-high six touchdown passes in one game. The Saints began with a 13–0 record, their best start ever. Brees finished the season with a new NFL record for completion percentage (70.62%).

In the playoffs, Brees led the Saints to their first ever Super Bowl appearance. They defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–17 in Super Bowl XLIV. Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions. He was named the Super Bowl MVP. This was the first championship in Saints history. Brees was also named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year for his Super Bowl win and his work helping New Orleans rebuild.

Record-Breaking Seasons

In 2011, Brees had a truly amazing season. He led the NFL in completion percentage, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. This is known as the "Triple Crown." He broke Dan Marino's 27-year-old record for most passing yards in one season (5,084). Brees finished the year with 5,476 passing yards. He also set a Saints record with 46 touchdown passes. He was named the second-best player in the league by his peers.

Brees at the 2013 Pro Bowl

In 2012, Brees signed a five-year, $100 million contract. He broke Johnny Unitas's record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, reaching 54 games. He also set an NFL record with his fifth straight season of at least 30 touchdown passes and 4,000 yards passing.

In 2013, Brees became the fastest player to reach 50,000 career passing yards. He did it in 183 games. He also extended his NFL record to a sixth straight season with at least 30 touchdown passes and 4,000 passing yards.

Brees in 2015 at Fedex Field

In 2015, Brees tied the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single game with seven. He also became the fastest player to reach 400 career touchdowns. He led the league in passing yards for a record sixth time.

In 2016, Brees threw a career-high 98-yard touchdown pass. He also became the first player in NFL history with 100 games of 300+ passing yards. He led the league in passing yards for the fifth time in his career with 5,208 yards.

In 2017, Brees set a new NFL record for completion percentage (72.0%). He also became only the third player to throw for over 70,000 career passing yards.

Later Career and Retirement

In 2018, Brees signed a two-year, $50 million contract. He broke Brett Favre's record for career pass completions. He also passed Peyton Manning for the NFL's all-time passing yardage record. Brees became the third quarterback to beat all 32 NFL teams. He also reached 500 career touchdown passes. He set a new NFL record for completion percentage (74.4%).

Brees at the 2020 Pro Bowl

In 2019, Brees suffered a thumb injury that caused him to miss several games. When he returned, he broke Peyton Manning's record for most career touchdown passes. He also set an NFL single-game record with a 96.7% completion percentage.

In 2020, Brees broke Brett Favre's record for most career pass attempts. He also became the first quarterback in history to record 80,000 career passing yards. After 20 seasons, Brees announced his retirement on March 14, 2021.

NFL Career Statistics

Legend
	AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year
	Super Bowl MVP
	Won the Super Bowl
	NFL record
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games			Passing										Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Y/G	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
2001	SD	1	0	—	15	27	55.6	221	8.2	221.0	40	1	0	94.8	2	18	9.0	13	0	2	12	2	0
2002	SD	16	16	8−8	320	526	60.8	3,284	6.2	205.3	52	17	16	76.9	38	130	3.4	15	1	24	180	2	0
2003	SD	11	11	2−9	205	356	57.6	2,108	5.9	191.6	68	11	15	67.5	21	84	4.0	18	0	21	178	5	3
2004	SD	15	15	11−4	262	400	65.5	3,159	7.9	210.6	79	27	7	104.8	35	85	1.6	22	2	18	131	7	2
2005	SD	16	16	9−7	323	500	64.6	3,576	7.2	223.5	54	24	15	89.2	21	49	2.3	9	1	27	223	8	5
2006	NO	16	16	10−6	356	554	64.3	4,418	8.0	276.1	86	26	11	96.2	42	32	0.8	16	0	18	105	8	3
2007	NO	16	16	7−9	440	652	67.5	4,423	6.8	276.4	58	28	18	89.4	23	52	2.3	9	1	16	109	9	4
2008	NO	16	16	8−8	413	635	65.0	5,069	8.0	316.8	84	34	17	96.2	23	−1	0.0	9	0	13	92	6	1
2009	NO	15	15	13−2	363	514	70.6	4,388	8.5	292.5	75	34	11	109.6	22	33	1.5	10	2	20	135	10	6
2010	NO	16	16	11−5	448	658	68.1	4,620	7.0	288.8	80	33	22	90.9	18	−3	−0.2	7	0	25	185	9	2
2011	NO	16	16	13−3	468	657	71.2	5,476	8.3	342.3	79	46	14	110.6	21	86	4.1	20	1	24	158	1	1
2012	NO	16	16	7−9	422	670	63.0	5,177	7.7	323.6	80	43	19	96.3	15	5	0.3	11	1	26	190	5	1
2013	NO	16	16	11−5	446	650	68.6	5,162	7.9	322.6	76	39	12	104.7	35	52	1.5	16	3	37	244	6	2
2014	NO	16	16	7−9	456	659	69.2	4,952	7.5	309.5	69	33	17	97.0	27	68	2.5	13	1	29	186	7	3
2015	NO	15	15	7−8	428	627	68.3	4,870	7.8	324.7	80	32	11	101.0	24	14	0.6	12	1	31	235	5	2
2016	NO	16	16	7−9	471	673	70.0	5,208	7.7	325.5	98	37	15	101.7	23	20	0.9	7	2	27	184	5	4
2017	NO	16	16	11−5	386	536	72.0	4,334	8.1	270.9	54	23	8	103.9	33	12	0.4	7	2	20	145	5	0
2018	NO	15	15	13−2	364	489	74.4	3,992	8.2	266.1	72	32	5	115.7	31	22	0.7	11	4	17	121	5	1
2019	NO	11	11	8−3	281	378	74.3	2,979	7.9	270.8	61	27	4	116.3	9	−4	−0.4	2	1	12	89	0	0
2020	NO	12	12	9−3	275	390	70.5	2,942	7.5	245.2	52	24	6	106.4	18	−2	−0.1	3	2	13	89	6	2
Career		287	286	172−114	7,142	10,551	67.7	80,358	7.6	280.0	98	571	243	98.7	498	752	1.5	22	25	420	2,991	111	42

Postseason

Year	Team	Games			Passing										Rushing					Sacked		Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Record	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	Y/G	Lng	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Y/A	Lng	TD	Sck	SckY	Fum	Lost
2004	SD	1	1	0−1	31	42	73.8	319	7.6	319.0	44	2	1	101.2	5	17	3.4	7	0	2	11	1	0
2006	NO	2	2	1−1	47	81	58.0	597	7.4	298.5	88	3	1	88.3	4	6	1.5	8	0	6	51	3	2
2009	NO	3	3	3−0	72	102	70.6	732	7.2	244.0	44	8	0	117.0	5	−4	−0.8	0	0	2	15	2	0
2010	NO	1	1	0−1	39	60	65.0	404	6.7	404.0	40	2	0	95.4	2	6	3.0	6	0	1	7	1	0
2011	NO	2	2	1−1	73	106	68.9	928	8.8	464.0	66	7	2	110.1	5	4	0.8	5	0	5	34	1	1
2013	NO	2	2	1−1	44	73	60.3	559	7.7	279.5	52	2	2	81.9	5	13	2.6	5	0	3	9	1	0
2017	NO	2	2	1−1	48	73	65.8	670	9.2	335.0	80	5	3	100.8	3	0	0.0	2	0	3	23	1	0
2018	NO	2	2	1−1	54	78	69.2	550	7.2	275.0	43	4	2	95.6	5	−2	−0.4	1	0	4	25	2	0
2019	NO	1	1	0−1	26	33	78.8	208	6.3	208.0	20	1	1	90.4	1	5	5.0	5	0	3	31	1	1
2020	NO	2	2	1−1	47	73	64.4	399	5.5	199.5	38	3	3	75.1	5	5	1.0	2	0	0	0	1	0
Career		18	18	9−9	481	721	66.7	5,366	7.4	298.1	88	37	15	97.1	40	50	1.3	8	0	29	206	14	4

Career Awards and Records

Drew Brees earned many awards in college and the NFL:

Super Bowl champion (XLIV)
Super Bowl MVP (XLIV)
13× Pro Bowl selections
25× AFC/NFC Offensive Player of the Week
2× NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011)
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year (2010)
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2006)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2004)
Maxwell Award (2000)
Most seasons as passing yards leader: 7

National Football League Records

Most passing touchdowns in a single game (7) (tied with 7 others)
Best pass completion percentage in a single season (74.4% in 2018)
2nd most passing yards in a season: 5,476 (2011)
Most 5,000 yard seasons: 5
Most consecutive games with a touchdown pass: 54

New Orleans Saints Franchise Records

Brees holds many passing records for the Saints:

Passing yards, career (68,010)
Passing yards, single game (510)
Passing touchdowns, career (491)
Pass completions, career (6,017)
Pass attempts, career (8,742)
Passing yards, single season (5,476) (2011)
Passing touchdowns, single season (46) (2011)
Pass completions, single season (471) (2016)
Longest pass-play, (98 yards) (2016)
Completion percentage, single season (74.4%)
Completion percentage, career (67.7%)

Broadcasting Career

After retiring from the NFL, Brees worked for NBC Sports. He was a color analyst for Notre Dame football games and on Football Night in America. He left this role in 2022.

Personal Life

Brees married his college sweetheart, Brittany Dudchenko, in 2003. They have four children: three sons and one daughter.

Brees announcing the Saints' draft pick at the 2010 NFL draft

The Brees family moved to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. They fell in love with the city and bought a home there. All their children were born and are being raised in New Orleans. Drew often talks about his "four F's": faith, family, football, and philanthropy.

Brees is a Baptist. He became deeply committed to his faith at age 17. He believes that challenges, like his shoulder injury, strengthened his relationship with God.

When he was younger, Brees was bullied because of a birthmark on his face. He wears #9 on his uniform to honor baseball player Ted Williams. Fans sometimes call him "Breesus" or "Cool Brees" because he stays calm under pressure.

Brees owns several restaurants, including "Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar" and "Jimmy John's" sandwich shops. When he broke the NFL passing yards record, he sent a personalized football and letter to players who helped him achieve it.

He follows a strict diet, avoiding gluten, dairy, and nuts due to allergies. He also focuses on core strength exercises.

Charity and Volunteer Activities

Brees visiting U.S. soldiers in Kuwait, April 2007

Drew Brees is very well-liked in New Orleans. Sports Illustrated named him their 2010 Sportsman of the Year. This was for leading the Saints to a Super Bowl title and helping New Orleans rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. He and his family lived in the city itself, which made fans love him even more.

Brees Dream Foundation

In 2003, Drew and Brittany Brees started the Brees Dream Foundation. It supports cancer patients and research. After moving to New Orleans, the foundation also began helping with Hurricane Katrina rebuilding projects. They work to restore schools, parks, and after-school programs. The foundation has given over $35 million to charities worldwide.

In 2020, the Brees Dream Foundation donated $5 million to help build healthcare centers in Louisiana. They also partnered to create the BuildStrong Academy, which teaches students skills for the construction industry.

Other Activities

Brees signs autographs at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on June 29, 2009, along with fellow NFL players Billy Miller and Donnie Edwards.

Brees has visited U.S. soldiers on USO tours. He has also participated in charity events to raise money for various causes.

In 2007 and 2010, Brees was honored as the Grand Marshal of the Krewe of Bacchus parade during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. In 2010, President Obama appointed Brees to co-chair the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.

Images for kids

Brees in 2020
Brees in 2008 at Fedex Field
Brees celebrating the Super Bowl win with his son Baylen
Brees at the 2013 Pro Bowl
Brees in 2013.
Brees in 2015 at Fedex Field
Brees at the 2020 Pro Bowl
Brees announcing the Saints' draft pick at the 2010 NFL draft
Brees visiting U.S. soldiers in Kuwait, April 2007
Brees signs autographs at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base on June 29, 2009, along with fellow NFL players Billy Miller and Donnie Edwards.
Brees with Jimmy John's founder and chairman Jimmy John Liautaud in 2017.

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List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders
List of gridiron football quarterbacks passing statistics
List of most consecutive games with touchdown passes in the National Football League
List of most consecutive starts by a National Football League quarterback
List of National Football League career passer rating leaders
List of National Football League career passing completions leaders
List of National Football League career passing touchdowns leaders
List of National Football League career passing yards leaders
List of National Football League career quarterback wins leaders
List of National Football League quarterback playoff records
List of NFL quarterbacks who have passed for 500 or more yards in a game
List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
List of NFL quarterbacks with 5,000 passing yards in a season

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