Drew Brees Caps Off Legacy with Super Bowl XLIV Win, MVP Award

The parallels have been drawn for weeks and have formed a two week long set of media train tracks, where countless columnists and commentators spoke of the relationship between Brees’ career and the recent history of New Orleans.

But tonight, Drew Brees’ performance was much like his career. His back was against the wall, and he immediately silenced his doubters.

Brees played the best comeback football of his career on Sunday against the Colts.

Although a fellow Featured Columnist listed Drew Brees among the quarterbacks who need a Super Bowl ring to complete their legacy, I personally never included Brees in that list.

Until tonight.

Why? He has already created a legacy by disproving his doubters every step of the way, from high school and not receiving a scholarship to a big Texas school, to the combine where he was questioned for his height and a slow 40, to the injury that sidelined him to surgery, to failing to get New Orleans to the Super Bowl in 2006.

If that’s not enough, just look at what he’s done for the city of New Orleans. He’s created a legacy for himself in that regard alone.

Was it not made blatantly obvious when the city of New Orleans proclaimed that they would parade through the streets, win or lose?

Was it not incredibly evident in Brees leading the team to their first-ever NFC Championship game in 2006, and their first-ever Super Bowl berth this year?

Has the heavenly hope held by New Orleans natives regarding their quarterback as “Breesus”, not gotten the point across?

It took him a few years to get acclimated to the NFL game, but if there’s a turning point to be had here, it may have been in the 2004 offseason. A muddy mess of draft day drama had the San Diego Chargers display their doubt of the diminutive quarterback.

The draft day circus that had the Chargers take Eli Manning first overall, and then Philip Rivers fourth, proved that San Diego had little to no faith in Brees.

But as he’s always done, he took it in stride.

In fact, he kicked his stride into high gear as he had his best statistical season at the time. He threw 27 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, to go along with a 104.8 passer rating on the season.

Finally, it appeared the doubt had crept into the nether regions of everyone’s wondering minds.

But as it had so many times before, that doubt came crashing back down on him.

In the final game of the 2005 season, with his contract expired, Brees’ Chargers faced off against division rival Denver. A shoulder-searing hit from defensive tackle Gerard Warren had everything Brees had worked so hard for flashing before his very eyes. He had no contract, an injury which required surgery, and a young first-round quarterback waiting in the wings.

Not exactly a cocktail for a big contract.

With doubts about his recovery, the Chargers essentially told the Pro Bowl passer that he’d be playing second fiddle next season.

But Brees, like the Saints, just needed someone to give him a chance.

And as he’d done several times in the past, he defied the odds and refuted his doubters.

Since then, Brees has made a living by making big-name threats out of no-name receivers. He rode them all the way to 14 yards shy of Dan Marino’s single-season passing yards record.

Brees has done for his receivers what the Saints did for him in 2006: he’s been the one to give them a chance to make a name for themselves.

They were down 10-0 in the first quarter, and were backed up on the 10 after a penalty on the kickoff.

A 21 yard out route to Lance Moore. A 27 yard strike down the middle to Marques Colston. Numerous quick slant routes to Devery Henderson. All these are receivers whom Brees has made famous this season. Much like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, he spread the ball all around.

With the win, he joins that upper echelon of quarterbacks.

He probably secured a spot in the Hall of Fame with his incredible performance tonight, displaying his accuracy as he has done all season. Short slants and dump-offs to the running backs were the theme of the night as he went 32-of-39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns, earning game MVP honors.

Were it not for a win tonight, Brees would’ve only been the quarterback who led the Saints to the Super Bowl for the first time ever.

Instead, he disproved the doubters as he’s done throughout his career, and gets to be the quarterback who won the Super Bowl for New Orleans in their first trip, cementing his spot in history in the process.

Instead of being a folk hero in New Orleans, he’s a legend of the nation.

After serious reconstructive surgery on his throwing shoulder, the Saints couldn’t have expected Brees to sling them all the way to the Promised Land.

After rattling off 13 straight wins to lose their final three, the doubters came out again and said the Saints were too soft to soar to the Super Bowl.

Then, the Saints were supposed to be no match for the Colts.

Along the way, all Brees did was prove them wrong, incorrect, false, and negative.

After a 3-13 season, he hardly came to New Orleans under the impression that a Super Bowl team was in the works.

But Brees and the Saints have helped rejuvenate one another. And with the win tonight, Brees has given them so much more than anyone anticipated.

All Brees has ever done is prove his doubters wrong.

Tonight, New Orleans can rest assured that the Saints will go marching on.