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)
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)
New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame
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)
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (2006)
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)

NFL records

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 with the New Orleans Saints.

Brees is known for being one of the greatest quarterbacks ever. He holds many NFL records. These include the most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54 games). He also has the highest completion percentage in a single season.

He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. The San Diego Chargers drafted him in 2001. After a serious injury, he joined the Saints in 2006. He led them to their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl XLIV. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP).

After 15 seasons with the Saints, Brees retired in 2021. He later worked as a football analyst. In 2022, he became an interim assistant coach at Purdue.

Early Life and High School Football

Drew Brees was born in Dallas, Texas, on January 15, 1979. His parents were both lawyers and athletes. His grandfather and uncle were also successful football players.

Brees did not play tackle football until high school. He played flag football before that. In high school, he played baseball, basketball, and football. He even thought about playing college baseball.

He tore a ligament in his knee in 11th grade. After recovering, he became a star player. In 1996, he led his Austin Westlake High School team to a perfect 16–0 record. They won the state championship.

College Football Career

Brees chose to attend Purdue because of its strong academics. He graduated in 2001 with a degree in industrial management.

He became the starting quarterback in his second year. He led the Boilermakers to their first Big Ten Conference championship since 1967. In 2001, Purdue played in the 2001 Rose Bowl, a very important game.

Brees set many records during his college career. He set two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue records. He was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award in 1999. He won the Maxwell Award in 2000 as the nation's best player.

College Statistics Overview

Brees's college stats show his strong performance. He completed 1,026 passes for 11,792 yards. He also threw 90 touchdowns.

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 Football Career

San Diego Chargers (2001–2005)

The San Diego Chargers drafted Brees in the second round of the 2001 NFL draft. Some teams were worried about his height and arm strength.

He became the starting quarterback for the Chargers in 2002. In 2004, he had a great season. He led the team to a 12–4 record and won the AFC West title. He was named the 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.

New Orleans Saints (2006–2020)

After his injury, the Chargers did not offer Brees a big contract. The New Orleans Saints signed him in March 2006. This was a big moment for both Brees and the Saints.

Bringing Success to New Orleans

Brees joined the Saints after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The team had struggled for many years. With Brees and new coach Sean Payton, the Saints quickly improved.

In 2006, the Saints finished with a 10–6 record. They won their division and made it to the NFC Championship game. Brees led the league in passing yards that year. He was named a First-team All-Pro.

Super Bowl XLIV Victory

The 2009 season was historic for Brees and the Saints. They started with a 13–0 record. Brees had an amazing season, setting a new NFL record for completion percentage (70.62%).

Brees celebrating the Super Bowl win with his son Baylen

The Saints reached Super Bowl XLIV in 2010. They defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31–17. 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.

Record-Breaking Seasons

Brees continued to break records. In 2011, he broke Dan Marino's 27-year-old record for most passing yards in a season (5,084). He finished the year with 5,476 passing yards. He also set a Saints record with 46 touchdown passes.

In 2012, Brees signed a five-year, $100 million contract. He broke Johnny Unitas's record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54 games). He finished the season with over 5,000 passing yards again.

Brees at the 2013 Pro Bowl

He continued to lead the league in passing yards multiple times. In 2015, he 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.

In 2018, Brees broke Brett Favre's record for career pass completions. He also passed Peyton Manning for the NFL's all-time passing yardage record. He became only the third quarterback to beat all 32 NFL teams.

In 2019, Brees broke Peyton Manning's record for most career touchdown passes. He also set an NFL single-game record for completion percentage (96.7%).

Final Seasons and Retirement

Brees continued to play at a high level. In 2020, he became the first quarterback in history to reach 80,000 career passing yards. He led the Saints to another division title.

His final game was in the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On March 14, 2021, Brees announced his retirement after 20 seasons.

NFL Career Statistics

Brees's career statistics show his incredible achievements. He holds many NFL and Saints franchise records.

Regular Season Statistics

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 Statistics

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

Awards and Records

Drew Brees received many awards during his career. He is a Super Bowl champion and MVP. He was named NFL Offensive Player of the Year twice. He also earned 13 Pro Bowl selections.

NFL 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)
Most 5,000-yard seasons: 5
Most consecutive games with a touchdown pass: 54

New Orleans Saints Records

Brees holds many records for the Saints:

Most career passing yards (68,010)
Most career passing touchdowns (491)
Most career pass completions (6,017)
Most passing yards in a single season (5,476 in 2011)
Most passing touchdowns in a single season (46 in 2011)

Life Outside Football

Family Life

Brees married his college sweetheart, Brittany Dudchenko, in 2003. They have four children: three sons and one daughter. The family lives in Uptown New Orleans. Brees often talks about his "four F's": faith, family, football, and philanthropy.

Charity Work

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

In 2003, Drew and Brittany started the Brees Dream Foundation. It helps cancer patients and supports research. After Hurricane Katrina, the foundation also helped rebuild New Orleans. They have donated over $35 million to good causes worldwide.

Brees has also visited U.S. soldiers on USO tours. He has supported programs to help rebuild homes and facilities in New Orleans. In 2020, he and Brittany donated $5 million to build healthcare centers in Louisiana.