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HONORING DREW BREES'S RETIREMENT FROM THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
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HON. STEVE SCALISE
of louisiana
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Mr. SCALISE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Drew Brees, his legacy as a New Orleans Saint in the National Football League, and his dedication to the people of the City of New Orleans. Drew's retirement comes after completing twenty seasons in the NFL, fifteen of which were played as the starting quarterback of my hometown team, the New Orleans Saints. In fact, he chose to retire on March 14, 2021, the fifteen-year anniversary of his signing with the Saints.
Since 2005, Drew has taken the field dressed in black and gold and sparked the greatest era yet for the Saints franchise. For the last fifteen years, Brees has led one of the most explosive offensive teams in NFL history, marching the Saints to seven NFC South titles and winning the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl in 2010. You can take a guess who the MVP was for Super Bowl XLIV.
I could go on and on about how Drew Brees is one of the best football players of all time. How he is the NFL all-time leader in career passing yards, passes completed, passes completed per game, and total offensive yards. Or that he has the most seasons with 5,000+ passing yards, has been selected for 13 Pro Bowls, or that he has showcased his accuracy by holding the all-time single season record for his passing completion percentage at 74.4 percent. These achievements are unparalleled. In addition to Drew's accomplishments on the field, I also want to recognize and honor the positive impact Drew Brees has made on New Orleans and the entire State of Louisiana.
Drew came to New Orleans during one of our darkest times. Hurricane Katrina had taken over 1,800 lives and flooded the vibrant, historic crown jewel of the South. The iconic Louisiana Superdome, home to the Saints and regularly filled with cheering fans on Sundays, was filled with many of those same people who were now evacuees, some of whom had lost everything they owned.
The Saints are more than just a football team in New Orleans. After Katrina, the Saints gave us hope. The Saints are as much a part of the soul of New Orleans as our world-famous cuisine and the jazz music and brass bands that fill the French Quarter. Drew Brees changed our New Orleans Saints forever, bringing historic success to the franchise and giving the city hope, with something to finally celebrate through the grueling struggles of rebuilding. As the Saints organization put it, Drew came to us at our lowest point, and brought us to its highest.
A known leader in the locker room, Drew is also a leader off the field. Winner of the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award, Drew and his wife Brittany founded the Brees Dream Foundation, which has contributed more than $45 million globally to cancer patients and families in need. In the last year, the Brees family personally committed $5 million to Louisiana to assist with COVID-19 relief efforts.
To close, I'd like to read Brees' own inspirational words from his retirement letter, addressed openly to the city and to the famed Who Oat Nation. ``From the moment I stepped foot into the city of New Orleans, I could feel your spirit. You told me that if I loved New Orleans, you would love me back. No truer words have ever been spoken.
``Drew, I wholeheartedly agree, and your place in the history of the city will live forever. Jennifer and I wish you, Brittany, and your beautiful young kids all the best as you now begin the next chapter of your Hall of Fame life.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 64
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