Drew Brees

Drew Brees passing a footballdbking [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]“You are either getting better or getting worse, but you are never staying the same.” All football stars start out just learning the basics and then progress, and if they are talented, they go on to be pros. Drew Brees started out playing football with his grandfather and then went on to play at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas, and was a two-year varsity starter with a record of 28-0-1. He threw for 5,416 yards and 50 touchdowns and won the class 5A championship. In 2001 he was drafted by the San Diego Chargers with the 32nd pick overall. He played for the Chargers and led them to the playoffs in 2004. In 2006 he was a free agent and signed with the New Orleans Saints and led them to multiple playoff appearances. Drew Brees helped the Saints to win their first Super Bowl in franchise history in 2010. Drew Brees won Super Bowl MVP after defeating Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 34-17. A hero must possess generosity and bravery. Drew Brees is generous and brave therefore, he is a hero.

Drew Brees is generous and uses his money that he has earned playing football to help other people that are not as blessed as he is. Drew helps out many people in need. He “established in 2003 to support cancer research and the education of children in need. The Brees Dream Foundation has worked with nearly 50 New Orleans schools and organizations to promote civic recovery. Its contributions include $671,000 donated to the Lusher Charter School to rebuild its athletic facilities; $1,000,000 in funding for the American Cancer Society's Patrick F. Taylor Hope Lodge, a residential facility for patients undergoing chemotherapy; $100,000 for completion of the G.W. Carver High School Field of Dreams; $300,000 to New Orleans Outreach for after-school assistance to several schools; $127,500 to the New Orleans Recreation Department to help with initial costs in the restoration of Ponchartrain Park; $78,000 to Best Buddies Louisiana, which provides one-to-one friendships for adults with intellectual disabilities; and $74,000 to the Greater New Orleans Rebuild Child Care Cooperative to restore child-care facilities lost to Katrina” (Drew Brees Named 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year). Drew Brees is a hero because he has been so generous to his communities. Drew Brees donated money to help rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He also has a foundation dedicated to helping children with cancer and people in need. He is a hero to many because he could buy fancy sports cars or own multiple houses but he decides to give back. His foundation has helped many people. “Brees has also made valuable contributions to the New Orleans community and elsewhere. Shortly after arriving in the city, he and his wife, Brittany, founded The Brees Dream Foundation, whose aim is to fight cancer and help children in need. Since its establishment, the nonprofit foundation has raised more than $20 million for its work” (Drew Brees Biography). Drew Brees is a hero because he has been so generous. He cares about people who have cancer and has raised more than $20 for cancer research. He’s trying to help kids to fight cancer. This proves that Drew Brees is using his money for the people and buildings for New Orleans instead of using the money just for himself.

Drew Brees is brave and would never give up, even if he had a bad injury. Drew Brees had a really bad shoulder injury but still succeeded after the injury. “Surgery was needed to repair a damaged right shoulder. People around the NFL thought his career was over and it was clear to him that they were not confident in his ability to perform well after his injury. After searching for a new team, he narrowed his choices down to the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints. At the last minute, the Dolphins decided they couldn't take a chance on Brees' previously injured arm. Brees signed with the Saints and became the team's starting quarterback" (Drew Brees. Gale Biography). Drew Brees has proved that even though he tore his labrum, it was not the end of the road. Drew Brees worked hard to come back from his injury and he was able to receive two different offers from the New Orleans Saints and the Miami Dolphins. He signed for the Saints and worked extremely hard to help them win a Super Bowl. Drew Brees in high school got rejected by his future wife, but he never gave up. “Brees stammered with several cheesy pick-up lines, causing her to shake her head and leave. He remained undaunted, convinced that she was the woman he would marry someday” (Geoffreys page 167). He is a hero because he was brave enough to get through those tough times with a positive and brave attitude. Not many people are brave enough to want to play football after a horrible injury or being rejected. Being brave is to fear and never give up, which is why Drew Brees is a hero.

Celebrating winning the Super BowlIan Ransley [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]Drew Brees is inspirational because he fought through a bad injury and still accomplished a lot and did well in college. In 2010 Drew Brees won his first Super Bowl. Despite having a bad injury in 2006, he had to work through the pain to be able play. “Brees tied a Super Bowl record by completing 32 passes and he was named the Super Bowl's Most Valuable Player. Due to his Super Bowl victory and his charitable work with the Brees Dream Foundation, Brees was named the 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year and AP's Male Athlete of the Year” (Drew Brees. Gale Biography). Drew Brees is a big inspiration to me and he is a hero because of the way he has been able to deal with adversity and still come out a winner. Drew Brees was hard working at college, and at the end he got a good GPA. Brees also excelled in the classroom. He finished with a 3.42 and earned Academic All-American of the year honors and earned more countless awards. (Geoffreys page 167). He came back from a horrible injury and led his team to a Super Bowl. It was the first Super Bowl for the city of New Orleans and it came at a time when the city needed a hero. He won Super Bowl MVP, which is amazing because it means he was the best player out on the field, and was named AP Male Athlete of the year, which is a huge deal because he competed against athletes like Jimmie Johnson and Manny Pacquiao. Drew Brees is a hero and is inspirational because he never gives up. He was inspirational by working really hard, and at the end he succeeded.

Drew Brees would always work hard through his life and would never give up even if something bad happened. Drew Brees is a big inspiration to me and he is a hero because of the way he has been able to deal with adversity and still come out a winner. This shows that you have to work hard, even if anything bad happens, and to never give up.

Works Consulted

Brees, Drew, and Chris Fabry. Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity. Tyndale House Publishers, 2010.

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"Drew Brees Named 2010 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year." PR Newswire, 30 Nov.

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"Drew Brees." Newsmakers, vol. 2, Gale, 2010. Biography In Context,

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968295. Accessed 1 May 2019.

Geoffreys, Claytom. Drew Brees The Inspiring Story of One Football's Most Resilient

Quarterbacks. Calvintir Books, 2017.