The heart, soul and leader of New Orleans has decided after 20 record-setting seasons that it is time to hang up the cleats and retire. If the description above did not hint to who is being referred to, maybe the name Drew Brees rings a bell.
Brees posted a video via Instagram on Sunday, March 14, of his children breaking the heart-wrenching news to the world. Brees captioned the video, saying that his work in New Orleans is far from over.
“After 20 years as a player in the NFL and 15 years as a Saint, it is time I retire from the game of football,” Brees said. “Each day, I poured my heart & soul into being your Quarterback. Til the very end, I exhausted myself to give everything I had to the Saints organization, my team, and the great city of New Orleans. We shared some amazing moments together, many of which are emblazoned in our hearts and minds and will forever be a part of us. You have molded me, strengthened me, inspired me and given me a lifetime of memories. My goal for the last 15 years was striving to give to you everything you had given to me and more. I am only retiring from playing football, I am not retiring from New Orleans. This is not goodbye, rather a new beginning. Now my real life’s work begins!”
Brees will undoubtedly go down in the NFL history book as one of the all-time greats to pick up a football. For the residents of New Orleans, he will be remembered as the savior who pulled a burning city from the ashes and revitalized it.
Off the field Brees started the Brees Dream Foundation, which has contributed an estimated $25 million of relief funds to better the lives of others around the globe. He has partnered with Habitat for Humanity to provide housing for the residents of New Orleans. In 2011, Brees was appointed an ambassador for the World Food Programme, the world’s largest humanitarian group to fight hunger. Brees’ good samaritan list stretches just as long as his NFL records.
When Brees arrived in New Orleans, he inherited a team that was beaten, broken and did not know what a winning mentality was. Coming off a nearly career-ending shoulder injury, he put his faith in the Saints organization just as much as it did him. Head Coach Sean Payton released a statement emphasizing the impact Brees brought to not only the city of New Orleans, but upon Payton as well.
“Throughout his career, his consistency and dedication to excellence were unparalleled,” Payton said. “In a very short period of time, he would help lead a region to recovery and a team to a Super Bowl Championship. He was a magnificent leader both on and off the field. His attention to detail and competitive spirit were infectious. For all of us that have had the chance to coach him, it has been our privilege. We are better for it. I am forever grateful for what he has done for our team, our community and for me personally.”
Brees brought new meaning to the word “impossible.” He proved that despite the critics, when a human being strives for a goal hard enough, there is nothing that can stop them. The height disadvantage, a near career-ending injury, a team that never tasted victory and a city that was decimated and left broken in the ruins. All of these obstacles were just fuel to the fire for Brees.
The word perfection carries little meaning on planet Earth, because most have been taught that nothing and no one is perfect. Watching Brees play the game of football at times may have not been perfect, but his accuracy and IQ on the field can make a good case for the argument of perfection on Earth.
A man, a father, a leader and most of all, a savior. Brees will never be forgotten for his work on and off the field for the city of New Orleans. Who Dat Nation, the dreaded day is here to say goodbye to the legend of the Crescent City.