The Coolest Brees

On Monday night, whilst spending the few hours I had left with my family for the holidays, I stopped everything and hushed the room silent. Six seconds later, we are all still quiet watching one man be lifted by an entire city for an accomplishment he deemed "a group effort". New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees passed Miami Dolphins legend Dan Marino as the single-season passing leader with 5,087 yards. A record that stood for 27 years finally fell.

"Awesome," were the first words anyone said. My dad, a solid sports guru but more a noble man, continued "Nicest guy, too. Awesome."

That sentiment was echoed on the ESPN broadcast, on Twitter/Facebook, and every media outlet there is.

"Nicest guy."

Drew Brees, who I personally feel is the most under appreciated GREAT player at his position in the NFL, is one of the few you can call a better person than a player. The man who was shipped out of San Diego like a broken toy, arrived in New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He and his family took part in the rebuilding process financially, physically, and in Super Bowl XLIV, he did it emotionally.

The man is a class act, never asking for the spotlight and always deflecting it to someone else. You can tell just how much his teammates, coaches, and fans love being near him. After his record-breaking touchdown pass to Darren Sproles (in another dominant win, by the way), his entire team rushed him, and the Superdome had never been louder.

In the locker room after he acknowledged the efforts of everyone else, from the line who blocked to the receivers/running backs who caught for him. From the defensive players who gave the ball back to the offense, to the coaches who called the plays. Brees wanted EVERYONE to know they were a part of the record, just like he wanted everyone in the city to know they were part of that Championship.

While he may not get the MVP talk he deserves like a Tom Brady or an Aaron Rodgers, nor the "best QB in the game" discussion like a Brady or a Peyton Manning, he couldn't care less. He wants a win for his team, a win for his city, and a chance to play the game.

Now Brady or Rodgers or maybe even Eli Manning could be the eventual single-season leader in passing yards, but time will remember it was Drew Brees who broke it the day after Christmas. Why? Because sometimes, the nice guy really does win, a lot.




.