Purdue, 2001
• Two-time Academic All-America®
• 2000 Academic All-America® of the Year (across all university division sports)
Drew Brees was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame at the 2016 convention in Dallas, Texas.
"It is a tremendous honor to be inducted into the Academic All-America® Hall of Fame alongside so many distinguished people. I've learned tremendous life lessons from athletics but the opportunities I've had to make an impact in the classroom and in the community is where I take the most pride." – Drew Brees
The 2009 Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees has made a significant impact on the Saints franchise since arriving in 2006 from the San Diego Chargers. He led the Saints to victory in Super Bowl XLIV and was selected as the game’s MVP.
Prior to his NFL career, Brees attended Purdue University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from the prestigious Krannert School of Management while lettering in football from 1997-2000. A little-know quarterback coming out of Westlake High School (Austin, Texas), he quickly established himself on the gridiron as a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist and in the classroom as a two-time Academic All-American as a junior and senior. He was a Heisman finalist his junior and senior seasons, finishing fourth and third, respectively. He holds two NCAA records, 12 Big Ten Conference records and 18 Purdue records.
As a senior in 2000, Brees led the Boilermakers to a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl appearance. In that same year he won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s top collegiate player, was selected the Academic All-America of the Year
® for all university division sports and was a recipient of the National Football Foundation’s post-graduate scholarship. Also in 2000, he received the inaugural Socrates Award, recognizing the nation's finest athlete in terms of academics, athletics and community service.
In Brees’ time with the Chargers and Saints, he has been elected to nine Pro Bowls while being named: 2004 Comeback Player of the Year; to the 2006 All-Pro Team; 2008 and 2011 NFL Offensive Player of the Year; 2010
Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year. Brees ranks among the league’s elite quarterbacks, becoming the first player in NFL history to pass for over 4,000 yards in 10-straight campaigns – including an NFL-record four 5,000-yard passing seasons. Brees also became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 or more touchdowns in eight consecutive seasons.
A distinguished community service leader and pillar of the community, Brees also has received numerous accolades and awards for taking a leadership role off the field, including the 2006 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honor. He also participated in five USO trips to Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Turkey, Djibouti, Dubai, Okinawa and Guantanamo Bay.
Brees and his wife, Brittany, established the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003, a foundation dedicated to improving the lives of cancer patients and providing opportunities for children and families in need. The Foundation has contributed more than $23 million to charity causes globally.
Story written 4/7/16 by Barb Kowal, CoSIDA Director of External Affairs