FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – When Drew Brees awoke Monday morning, he rolled over and turned to his wife, Brittany, to ask: “Did that really happen?”
It certainly did, Drew.
Brees, the former Purdue star and quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, was selected as MVP after he led his team to a 31-17 victory over the Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
“What a special moment,” he said of clutching the Lombardi Trophy for the first time. “It’s something you dream about as a kid. I’m blessed with the opportunity to play in the NFL, be a quarterback and have the platform to not only be a team leader, but also (help me with) what I do in the community. I try to be the best role model I can be, the best person I can be and the best teammate I can be. Our victory was the culmination of four years of hard work.”
Brees has been the unquestioned leader of the Saints since joining them in 2006, after the San Diego Chargers let him go in free agency. Under his watch, the Saints have lifted the spirits of the New Orleans community in the post-Hurricane Katrina era and, now, won their first Super Bowl.
“You play this game to try to be the best and you play this game to win the ultimate prize, which is what we were able to do, win a world championship, a Super Bowl championship,” said Brees, who completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.
“You think of those who came before you, not only the teams and coaches but the players and those who paved the way for us to be able to play this game and be a part of this league. To have the opportunity to hold up that Vince Lombardi Trophy and call ourselves champions, it’s (amazing).”
After a sterling career at Purdue, in which he was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, Brees, 31, has often been underappreciated. He wasn’t selected until the second round of the NFL draft in 2001. After five seasons with the Chargers – he had 80 touchdown passes and 53 interceptions – he was deemed expendable because of a shoulder injury and the presence of young quarterback Philip Rivers.
That was the Saints’ gain.
“I always try to improve every year, and I feel like I have. I feel like each year, I’ve become a better player. The statistics may not show that, and the wins and losses (may) not necessarily either, but it’s in the maturation process,” said Brees, who completed 72 of 102 passes for eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the postseason.
“I feel like my role (has grown) not only as quarterback, but as a leader throwing the football. I am the guy who needs to manage things on offense and I can’t say enough about our team and our offense and the guys who take the field with me every Sunday. They earned this.”
But his teammates have been quick to laud Brees.
“The thing about Drew is he is such a great leader and … he knows exactly what is necessary at any given time,” wide receiver Marques Colston said. “He just led. I’m just so proud of that guy and just so happy to be associated with greatness in that way.”
The Saints quarterbacks coach happens to be Joe Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, for whom the championship trophy is named.
After a game in which he outdueled one of the all-time great quarterbacks, Peyton Manning, Brees was asked whether winning the Super Bowl cemented his status among the game’s legends.
“That’s what everybody’s telling me, but I’m going to take it one day at a time,” Brees said. “I’d like to look back on that years from now, when I’m done playing. Hopefully I’ve got many more years ahead of me. I’m going to play as long as I can, until they kick me out.”
He’ll always be welcome in New Orleans, that’s for sure.
