Not many of us, except maybe Chargers fans, remember Drew Brees as a Charger. He was drafted in the 2nd round in 2001 by them. Became the starter there in 2002 and then was a Pro Bowl player in 2004 before suffering a shoulder injury which led to Phillip Rivers and a Brees release.
The Drew Brees story only got better from there as he signed as a Free Agent with the Saints in 2006. Since then, he has made the Chargers regret letting him go. He not only has earned 8 Pro Bowl trips and has led all NFL quarterbacks in touchdowns, passing yards and 300-yard games since then, he also led the Saints to a Super Bowl win and was the MVP of that game. How many Super Bowls have the Chargers won or been in since his release? 0.
Drew is not only a great player on the field that makes 5,000 yard seasons look like candy, but he is also a great person off the field and a role model. True character and leader all around.
I can't think of another football player that has made more of an impact on their new team vs their old. When I think Drew Brees, I think Saints.
How many of you remember Brees as a Charger?
I'd never heard of the guy until he signed with the Saints. AT the risk of sounding like a broken record, that post-Katrina season was a tender time for all of us in NOLA, and having a skillful, young QB and new coach at the helm was invaluable to the people of the city. He's aging and costing us a fortune now, but he'll never pay for a drink in this city again. Even I have bought a beer for the guy (seriously).
ReplyDeleteMy buddy is a Chargers fan... plus the Raiders play them twice a year... so I remember Brees as a Charger. Rivers might not be Brees... but he held his own for many years in San Diego. It's just a shame that they didn't get anything in return. They had two solid QB's and tried to hold onto both. Not sure what they were thinking.
ReplyDeleteAs an native San Diegan, I definitely remember Brees first and foremost as a Charger. Was sad to see him go, but happy for his success. I just hope I live long enough to see the Padres or Chargers win a championship someday.
ReplyDeleteI definitely remember Brees as a Charger, but I'm not a Charger fan. Your post made me think 2 things. 1st, it's funny how we fans have such short memories to forget players with other teams. (As I tried to figure out who besides Brees you could use a an example, I found that I couldn't picture things like DeMarcus Ware with the Cowboys.) 2nd, there aren't too many others that stood out, and it's strong evidence that building through the day is the way to go.
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