The Miami Dolphins had their choice of free agent quarterbacks four years ago with Drew Brees and Daunte Culpepper.
The Dolphins chose Culpepper and Brees has not looked back since.
Brees’ most recent success took place Sunday when he and the New Orleans Saints defeated the Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV. Brees was named MVP after completing 32 of his 39 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns.
Brees joined the Saints in 2006, and helped turn a 3-13 team into a 10-6 team in his first season. Brees and the Saints reached the NFC Championship Game before losing to the Chicago Bears. The 2006 season was the first for both No. 2 overall pick Reggie Bush and Pro Bowl receiver Marques Colston. The hype surrounding Bush was in full force from day one.
In reality, the Saints were going nowhere without Brees. The Saints won seven and eight games in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Brees nearly broke the NFL single-season record for passing yards in 2008 and won eight games with one of the league’s weakest defenses. The Saints’ defense did not improve much in terms of yards given up this season. They were, however, second in the league for forced turnovers. Brees had a successful season with an opportunistic defense. The Saints won their first 13 games, which eventually led to the Super Bowl title.
The Saints have a gutsy coach, speedy receivers and a ball-hawking defense, but most importantly, they have Brees.
Brees lit a fire under one of the NFL’s weakest franchises historically in a community left in ruins after Hurricane Katrina. Younger generations may not remember the days when the Saints were the “Ain’ts.” It took the Saints 20 years to win double-digit games and 42 to appear in the Super Bowl, yet Brees has taken them to the top in four seasons.
Brees has not always been the toast of the football world despite his success in helping the Saints to the top. He played high school football not too far from San Marcos at Austin Westlake. He was not heavily recruited by colleges and played at Purdue where his mark was firmly etched in Boilermaker history. Brees was a projected first round pick in the NFL draft after setting Big 10 Conference records. Doubters cited his lack of height as a potential downfall in the NFL.
He was drafted at the top of the second round by San Diego. He became a successful starter with the Chargers, but San Diego had given the future of its quarterback position to Phillip Rivers. The team let Brees walk into free agency after a nasty arm injury. Miami passed on Brees then and will probably be remebered as the last team to doubt his ability.
Brees can be seen rallying his squad before each game. He has been a true leader for New Orleans vocally, on the field and in the community.
Bush may have an occasional flashy highlight, Colston may be a beast of a receiver and the Saints defense may have more pick-6’s than the Texas Lottery. But make no mistake, Brees is at the controls.
Receivers do not get wide-open catches as easily if the quarterback is not an all-pro. Bush does not get to break open as the fourth or fifth option on the Saints’ offense if Brees does not look off the entire field of defenders first. Brees is undoubtedly the face of the Saints franchise, and to think the Dolphins chose to go with Culpepper instead.