Purdue Fans (Probably) Grimace as Drew Brees Compliments Indiana's Title Run

Drew Brees might be the most popular figure associated with Purdue football right now. But even the biggest fan of the Boilermaker legend is probably grimacing over the comments he made about Indiana's run to the national championship this past season.

Indiana just enjoyed the most successful season in program history, going 16-0 and winning the school's first national championship in football. Before last weekend's NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race in San Diego, Brees was asked about the Hoosiers claiming the highest prize in college football.

After giving those in attendance an "Oh man," Brees followed it up with nothing but compliments and congratulations for his former rival.

"I've never met Curt Cignetti, but I've watched a lot of his content and I couldn't be more impressed with what he built there, as far as the culture and setting the standard and then upholding everybody to that standard," Brees said. "Just the way he went out and got a lot of veteran players that had something to prove, had a chip on their shoulder. He brought a bunch of players over from James Madison when he came over from there to instantly set the culture in the locker room.

Former Purdue quarterback Drew Brees smiles. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

"You're talking about Indiana University, one of the losingest programs in the history of college football. In two short years, they became national champions. Beat Ohio State, beat Oregon, beat Miami. I mean, we're talking about Indiana in football."

Brees has always been thoughtful and honest in his responses, but this one had to sting a little. You never want to give your arch rival too much credit, but in this instance, it's almost impossible not to compliment Cignetti on what he's accomplished in two years in Bloomington.

Without question, Brees is hoping Purdue can replicate that same level of success somewhere down the road so he doesn't have to field questions about Indiana's fortune in the future.

Brees says anyone can become a contender

Purdue Boilermakers assistant coach Drew Brees smiles before a game. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

If there's a silver lining to Indiana winning a national championship for Purdue fans — and, yes, it's going to be difficult to find it — it's that there's now tangible evidence that anyone can put together a championship-caliber team. That includes Purdue.

Even with a national title to its name, Indiana is the second-losingest program in the history of college football, totaling 715 losses in its history. If they're capable of making a national championship run, it's possible for anyone in this new era of college athletics.

"It just goes to show where we are right now in college football with NIL and the transfer portal," Brees said. "It makes you feel that with a good budget and the right selection process that any college football team can be a contender very quickly."

Admittedly, Brees isn't a huge fan of how everything operates in college football. The introduction of NIL and the transfer portal have certainly changed the game. The former Boiler does hope a few changes come in the near future to control the outrageous spending in the sport.

However, he credits Indiana for taking advantage of the system, and believes it has leveled the playing field for the rest of college football.

"It makes it where, every weekend, anything is possible," Brees said. "Any given year, anything is possible in college football. And look, I think the system is somewhat broken right now. I think there are a lot of things that need to be done to help fix it. I think it's putting a lot of universities and a lot of alumni bases in really tough positions to try and support the system. But it makes for some pretty exciting Saturdays, that's for sure."

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