NEW ORLEANS -- Unlike other NFL quarterbacks, Drew Brees isn't followed by the paparazzi and doesn't have national endorsement deals, though he is a constant presence on local public-service announcements and at charity events.
Really, the only gaudy things about Brees are his passing statistics. And based on his six-touchdown, 358-yard performance in the New Orleans Saints' season-opening victory over the Detroit Lions last week, that might not change any time soon.
"I could throw 96 touchdowns," Brees joked when asked about the prospect of challenging Tom Brady's NFL record of 50 TD tosses in a season. "I'm on pace, right?"
It's early to talk single-season records, especially with the Saintspreparing for their Week 2 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Yet, in the context of Brees' three seasons since arriving in New Orleans, there's little reason to doubt his ability to approach some of the game's most esteemed passing marks.
Brees' passing yards have increased in each of the last five seasons, going back to his final two years with the San Diego Chargers, even though the labrum in his throwing shoulder was torn in a scrum over a loose ball in late 2005. His 13,910 passing yards during the past three seasons leads all NFL quarterbacks.
Brees passed for 5,069 yards last season, making him only the second NFL quarterback to go over 5,000, and he was just one decent completion short of Dan Marino's NFL single-season record of 5,084. Brees challenged that mark while playing for an 8-8 Saints team beset by injuries to key receivers such as Marques Colston and tight end Jeremy Shockey. For that, Brees was recognized as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
"He's the best, and people are going to look at me and say, 'Didn't you play with Brett Favre?'" said Saints safety Darren Sharper, the NFL's active leader in interceptions with 56. "I don't think Brett will feel as though this is a knock on him. ... (Brees) is the best I've been around, just as far as being smart with the football, reading the field, vision, making smart throws, accuracy. Going against him in practice, I was getting so frustrated because I couldn't get a chance to intercept it."
Few underestimate Brees now, but that wasn't always the case. Although the Austin, Texas, native won a state high school championship, the hometown Texas Longhorns weren't interested, nor were many other college football powerhouses. Despite twice being a Heisman Trophy finalist and leading Purdue to its first Rose Bowl in more than three decades, Brees was a second-round draft pick in the NFL.
At 6 feet, Brees is short for an NFL quarterback, and his transition to the pros wasn't easy. In his third NFL season, he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and was benched. During the next NFL draft, the Chargers acquired Philip Rivers. Brees had two more mostly successful years in San Diego, but he was released soon after his shoulder injury.
When Sean Payton took his first NFL head-coaching job in New Orleans in 2006, he wanted a quarterback with both passing and leadership skills. He was convinced Brees was the guy, and no one now questions the Saints' decision to sign the quarterback to a six-year, $60 million free-agent contract.
Saints players reverently speak of how Brees sets an example at team headquarters by arriving early, staying late, sometimes showing up on days off and often working with receivers on pass patterns after practice. If players want to suggest a change in any team routine, they go through Brees.
"I didn't know how great he was until I got here and saw what he commands out of this team and the stuff that he does," said Saints fullback Heath Evans, who played with Brady with the New England Patriots. "He's the captain of the ship. As he goes, we go, and he knows everything.
"There's two people in this league that are in his class, and that's Tom Brady and Peyton Manning -- and that's it."
Nationally, Brees might not be New Orleans' most popular sports figure. Hornets point guard Chris Paul, with his own Jordan shoe brand and new children's book, probably holds that distinction.
But Brees probably could win next year's mayor's election if he ran.
"Is it me, or is it Drew Brees in New Orleans? It's Drew Brees if you ask me," said Paul, who attended Brees' six-touchdown performance last Sunday. "The thing is, the Saints -- they've been having a few up-and-down years -- but Drew definitely doesn't get the national recognition he deserves."
Brees understands that greatness and fame don't always run on parallel tracks, which is fine with him. He values his privacy and carefully courts publicity as it helps him accomplish his goals. However famous Brees becomes, he said, "I want to be considered that way because people respect the way I play the game and respect what I try to do in the community and respect the person I try to be."
That approach has helped Brees raise more than $2 million for rebuilding projects in New Orleans. It has helped him fix up playgrounds, schools and athletic fields damaged by Hurricane Katrina. It has provided him a chance to see the world while supporting American soldiers on USO tours to the Middle East. It has helped him rebuild homes with Habitat for Humanity, raise money for Childrens' Hospital and much more.
While Brees credits teammates and coaches for his success on the field, the quarterback is a little more boastful about his charitable endeavors. He points out that nearly 100 percent of donations made to the Brees Dream foundation go to causes his family supports. The foundation has no fixed overhead, Brees noted, because it is run by him, wife Brittany and one employee that he pays out of his marketing income.
Brees also belongs to a group called the Quarterback Club, a collection of community leaders who meet periodically to prioritize service projects in New Orleans and discuss ways to raise money for them.
As for a future in politics, Brees sidesteps the question and steps up into the pocket.
"I'm not ready for that," he said. "I'll never say never, but I hope to be (playing football) for a long time."
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press
