WATCH: Purdue Legends Gene Keady, Drew Brees Share Special Moment at Final Four

Many prominent Purdue people made the journey out to Phoenix to catch the Boilermakers in the Final Four. Two legendary names — Gene Keady and Drew Brees — shared a special moment inside State Farm Stadium on Saturday evening.

Gene Keady is honored during the alumni game and intrasquad scrimmage, Saturday, Aug. 5, 2023, at / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA

In case you didn't notice, Purdue fans flocked to Phoenix to see the Boilermakers in the 2024 Final Four. A few legends — including former basketball coach Gene Keady and record-setting quarterback Drew Brees — were also in attendance at State Farm Stadium on Saturday.

Purdue's trip to the Final Four — the program's first since 1980 — allowed for Keady and Brees to share a special moment prior to Saturday's tipoff against North Carolina State. GoldandBlack.com's Brian Neubert shared a video of the two Boilermaker icons sharing a handshake and a short conversation.

Another multimedia dump pic.twitter.com/xeZz1ABdbL

— Brian Neubert — GoldandBlack.com (@brianneubert) April 6, 2024

Keady was the coach of Purdue's basketball program from 1980-2005. In his 25 years at the helm, he led the Boilermakers to 17 NCAA Tournament appearances and six Big Ten regular season championships.

Since his retirement, Keady has remained close to the program and continues to follow the team throughout March Madness. Since curent coach Matt Painter played for Keady, this has to be a really special opportunity for the former leader of the Boilers.

Brees was a standout quarterback at Purdue from 1997-2000. He's remembered as one of the most prominent quarterbacks in Big Ten history, throwing for 11,792 yards and 90 touchdowns in his career. He also led Purdue to a conference title in 2000, getting the program back to the Rose Bowl.

As much fun as it has been to see current players enjoying Purdue's trip to the Final Four, this has also been a really special run for former players, student-athletes, coaches and other Boilermaker icons.

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