The Best Hall-of-Fame Moments From Drew Brees' Career at Purdue

Drew Brees will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend. We're reliving some of his best moments during his career at Purdue.

Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Drew Brees (15) scrambling. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This weekend will be a special one for Drew Brees. The former Boilermaker will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, an inevitable stop after a stellar NFL career with the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints.

Although Brees is being honored for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton on Saturday, we thought it would be fun to relive some of his best moments from his college career at Purdue. There were several memorable moments, performances and plays throughout his time in West Lafayette, so we did our best to narrow down the long list.

Final Drive vs. Kansas State in the 1998 Alamo Bowl

Trailing No. 4 Kansas State 34-30 with under two minutes to play, Brees engineered an 80-yard touchdown drive to put the Boilermakers ahead 37-34 and eventually win the Alamo. Brees connected with Isaac Jones for a 30-yard touchdown to give Purdue the lead with just 30 seconds to play. It was a stunning upset for the Boilers down in San Antonio. Brees threw for 230 yards and three touchdowns and was named the MVP of the game.

NCAA record-breaking outing vs. Wisconsin

Joe Tiller showed just how much faith he had in his star quarterback in a 1998 game against Wisconsin. Brees threw a record-breaking 83 passes and completed an NCAA-record-tying 55 in the contest. He threw for 494 yards with two touchdowns and four interceptions. Purdue lost the game 31-24 in Madison, but it was still a brilliant performance from the young Boiler gunslinger.

Helicopter 2-point conversion vs. Notre Dame

In 1999, Purdue found itself in a dogfight with Notre Dame in an early-season game at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Boilermakers had just scored to take a 20-16 lead over the Fighting Irish when Tiller called for a two-point conversion. Brees had one of his iconic moments, taking the snap and sprinting to the end zone. He helicoptered his way across the goal line and gave the Boilers a six-point lead. Purdue won the game 28-23, a game in which Brees threw for 317 yards.

99-yard touchdown pass to Vinny Sutherland

Purdue owned a one-point lead against Northwestern in the final seven minutes of a late-September Big Ten clash in 1999. That's when Brees decided to end the game. With the Boilers backed up against their own goal line, Brees delivered a perfect strike to Vinny Sutherland, who turned the play into a 99-yard touchdown pass to secure a 31-23 victory over the Wildcats. Brees threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

The 18-point comeback vs. Michigan

Owning a 3-2 record through five games, Purdue desperately needed a win over Michigan to keep its Big Ten title hopes alive. Things didn't go well in the first half, trailing the Wolverines 28-10 at the break. Things turned around in the second half, thanks in large part to the efforts of Brees. He wasn't the hero of the game — a title that belonged to kicker Travis Dorsch — but Brees helped Purdue outscore Michigan 22-3 in the final 30 minutes, resulting in a 32-31 win. He completed 32-of-44 passes for 286 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for 80 yards.

"Holy Toledo!"

This was the most memorable performance of Brees' career in West Lafayette, and the highlight that gets replayed constantly. Trailing Ohio State 27-24 and Rose Bowl hopes hanging in the balance, Brees dropped back on second down with under two minutes left in the game and delivered a strike to Seth Morales, who walked into the end zone for the winning score. It was a 64-yard pass that will never be forgotten. Brees ended that contest with 455 passing yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.

Rose Bowl berth

Brees didn't have his best performance in the Old Oaken Bucket game of his senior season, but he didn't need it. He threw for 216 yards, rushed for 85 more and accounted for two total touchdowns as the Boilermakers clobbered the Hoosiers 41-13. Fans stormed the field, as they did so many times that season, to celebrate Purdue claiming a Big Ten title and earning a berth in the Rose Bowl.

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