Drew Brees Gives Purdue Major Credit Following Hall of Fame Announcement
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Before Drew Brees became one of the NFL's all-time greats to play the quarterback position, he helped kickstart one of the best eras of Purdue football. He might be most well known for everything he accomplished while playing for the New Orleans Saints, but his journey began in West Lafayette.
This week, Brees was announced as a Hall of Fame inductee as a member of the Class of 2026. He is a first-ballot selection after finishing his career second in NFL history in passing yards, completions and touchdowns passes. He is third in all-time completion percentage.
Brees made an incredible impact in New Orleans, earning 13 Pro Bowl appearances and leading the Saints to their only Super Bowl victory in 2009. But the legendary quarterback wanted to give proper credit to Purdue and the coaches who helped him along the way.
"We were reminiscing about my NFL days, both with the Chargers and the Saints, but I tell you what, I carry so many people from Purdue with me," Brees told Chris Hagan of FOX 59 in Indianapolis. "Joe Tiller, being one, Greg Olson, Tim Lappano, Jim Chaney — all of the guys who came to recruit me out of the state of Texas, where I didn't want to leave."
Brees was an under-recruited prospect out of Texas, essentially receiving power offers from only Purdue and Kentucky. He fit perfectly into Tiller's offense in West Lafayette and helped transform the Boilermaker football program in the late 1990s and into the 2000s.
Across four years in West Lafayette, Brees threw for 10,909 yards and 81 touchdowns while completing more than 61% of his passes. He also rushed for 906 yards and 14 touchdowns and caught a pair of touchdown passes.
Brees was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year in 1998 and 2000. He was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2000, leading Purdue to a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance that season.
The iconic quarterback said he has plenty of fond memories of his time at Purdue.
"I'm black-and-gold through and through," Brees said. "I love my alma mater, I love Purdue and it really paved the way for so many opportunities for me, and certainly this opportunity to be going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame."
Drew Brees's career numbers
Brees was successful at every step of his career. He had an incredible run as a three-year starter at Purdue and was selected in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers.
After four years in San Diego, Brees landed in New Orleans, where his career really took off. He received many awards and accolades with the Saints, including 13 Pro Bowl selections and two NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards.
Here's a rundown of Brees's numbers at both Purdue and in the NFL.
Purdue stats (1997-2000)
- Passing yards — 10,909
- Passing TDs — 81
- Completion % — 61.8%
- Rushing yards — 906
- Rushing TDs — 14
NFL stats (2001-2020)
- Passing yards — 80,358
- Passing TDs — 571
- Completion % — 67.7%
- Rushing yards — 752
- Rushing TDs — 25
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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