Injury, rejection inspire Brees
Former Purdue quarterback starting over with Saints

By Tom Kubat
tkubat@journalandcourier.com

Drew Brees is used to proving people wrong.

He did so when he became a star quarterback and two-time Heisman Trophy finalist at Purdue, after not being highly recruited out of high school.

He did it again when some doubters questioned his NFL potential but he became an All-Pro with the San Diego Chargers.

Now he'll try it for a third time after signing with the New Orleans Saints in the offseason.

Brees severely injured his throwing shoulder during the final game last season, and the Chargers elected not to resign him and take their chances on unproven third-year pro Philip Rivers.

"I probably would," Brees said when asked if he thought he'd still be with San Diego if he hadn't torn up his shoulder. "But everything happens for a reason."

Brees admits that, in at least some small way, he's using the Chargers as motivation to come back better than ever.

"You never do it for the naysayers. You don't try to be successful just to prove people wrong, but there is a little bit of satisfaction when that happens," he said. "And I plan on that happening. Again."

It's been a trying offseason for Brees, who is preparing for his sixth NFL campaign. Besides looking for a new team, he's had to endure a rigorous rehabilitation program.

"It's been a long, arduous process. It hasn't been very much fun," Brees said. "I've encountered situations with injuries or whatever before, but this was especially difficult because it was the throwing shoulder and there was the situation with San Diego.

"For them to kind of turn their back on me like they did, it's not a good feeling. And while all that's happening, I'm rehabbing six hours a day."

Brees is in town this week for several promotional appearances, including Sunday night's National Football Foundation honors dinner.

Also at the dinner was Mike Phipps, another former Purdue quarterback great who last month was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. Phipps, who was the Boilermakers' starting QB from 1967-69, has enjoyed following Brees' career.

"A leader, a guy who understands the offense," Phipps said. "You can see he's very competitive and would never give up on a game. He always thought they could win. And he still has those ingredients today. You can see it on the field.

"That's what makes winners -- guys who will put in the effort and won't be denied. He's one of them."

Brees certainly has put in the effort this offseason, trying to get his shoulder ready for the 2006 season.

"I don't think just anybody could go through this and rehab it and come back the same," Brees said. "I always believed that I could, and the doctors, my rehab guys and my teammates believed that I could.

"I've always had a mindset that there's nothing that could hold me down. I think I'm going to be a stronger person physically and mentally because of this."

Brees thinks he's about 75 percent now and expects to be the starting quarterback for the first exhibition game and be 100 percent for the regular season.

He said the people of New Orleans, after the city was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina last year, are getting fired up about the Saints, who drafted former Southern California running back Reggie Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner. The Saints are moving back into the Superdome, which was severely damaged by the hurricane, and their first home game will be on Monday Night Football, Sept. 25 against Atlanta.

Some people were surprised when Brees signed with the Saints, but he's convinced he made the right choice.

"If I was happy when they signed me, then I am extremely happy now after I've had a chance to be there for the minicamps, meet my teammates, learn the offense, get accustomed to Sean Payton, our head coach, and get to know the city," he said.

"It's been even greater than I ever could have imagined. I feel like all the pieces are coming together."