Drew Christopher Brees (/briːz/;[3]) (born January 15, 1979) is an American football

quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). After a prolific
college football career at Purdue University, he was chosen by the San Diego Chargers with the
first pick in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He left college as one of the most
decorated players in Purdue and Big Ten Conference history, establishing two NCAA records,
13 Big Ten Conference records, and 19 Purdue University records. As of 2017, he remains the
Big Ten record-holder in several passing categories, including completions (1,026), attempts
(1,678), and yards (11,792).

Brees earned the starting job with the Chargers in 2002 and made the Pro Bowl in 2004. Nine
months after suffering a bad dislocation in his shoulder joint and a 360 degree tear of his labrum
and rotator cuff, Brees signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent in 2006. He met
immediate success in New Orleans, earning ten trips to the Pro Bowl and leading the Saints to
their first-ever Super Bowl in Super Bowl XLIV, a 31–17 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Since joining the Saints, he has led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns, passing yards, and 300-
yard games. Brees has passed for over 5,000 yards in a season five times—no other NFL
quarterback has done so more than once. He has led the NFL in passing touchdowns four times,
and in passing yards a record seven times. He was the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in
2004, the Offensive Player of the Year in 2008 and 2011, and the MVP of Super Bowl XLIV.
Sports Illustrated named Brees its 2010 Sportsman of the Year.