Drew Brees's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Drew Brees. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Drew Brees is a former American football quarterback, playing 20 seasons in the NFL, primarily with the New Orleans Saints. He ranks among the top quarterbacks of all time, holding numerous records. Notably, he is second all-time in career passing yards and touchdown passes. Brees also held a record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass (54). He is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1967: Purdue Big Ten Championship

In 2000, Drew Brees led the Purdue Boilermakers to their first Big Ten championship since 1967.

1982: Brees's Passing Yards Compared to Dan Fouts's Record

In 1982, Dan Fouts set a record of 320.3 yards passing per game in a strike-shortened season, which Drew Brees later broke by averaging 342.25 yards passing per game.

1989: Academic All-America honors

In 2000, As a senior, Drew Brees became the first Boilermaker since Bruce Brineman in 1989 to earn Academic All-America honors.

1996: State Championship

In 1996, Drew Brees led the Austin Westlake High School football team to a 16-0 record and a state championship. He was also selected as Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player

1998: NCAA Record

In the 1998 season, in a game against Wisconsin, Drew Brees tied an NCAA single-game record with 55 completions and set the NCAA record for pass attempts in a single game with 83.

September 25, 1999: Tied NCAA Record

On September 25, 1999, Drew Brees tied an NCAA record with a 99-yard pass to receiver Vinny Sutherland against Northwestern.

1999: Davey O'Brien Award Finalist

In 1999, Drew Brees was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's best quarterback.

2000: Big Ten Championship

In 2000, Drew Brees led the Purdue Boilermakers to their first Big Ten championship since 1967.

2000: Maxwell Award

In 2000, Drew Brees won the Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player.

2001: NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award

In 2001, Drew Brees won the NCAA's Today's Top VIII Award.

2004: Breakout Season and Honors

In 2004, Drew Brees had a breakout season with the San Diego Chargers, earning him Pro Bowl and Comeback Player of the Year honors.

2004: AFC Offensive Player

In 2004, Drew Brees was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Brees posted spectacular numbers, completing 65.5% of his passes for 3,159 yards, with 27 touchdowns to only seven interceptions, giving him a 104.8 passer rating.

January 5, 2007: Awards and Recognition

On January 5, 2007, Drew Brees was named first runner-up behind LaDainian Tomlinson for league MVP by the Associated Press. Brees and Tomlinson were co-recipients of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.

February 18, 2007: Grand Marshal of Bacchus Parade

On February 18, 2007, Drew Brees was honored as the 2007 Grand Marshal of the Bacchus parade, a New Orleans Mardi Gras organization.

2009: Induction into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame

In 2009, Drew Brees was inducted into Purdue's Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.

2009: Saints' Super Bowl Winning Season

The Saints advanced to their first NFC Championship Game since their 2009 Super Bowl winning season.

February 7, 2010: Super Bowl XLIV Victory

On February 7, 2010, the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV. Drew Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 pass completions and won the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award. He threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first league championship in Saints franchise history.

February 14, 2010: Bacchus XLII

On February 14, 2010, Drew Brees presided as Bacchus XLII for the 2010 Bacchus parade during Mardi Gras season.

April 2010: Madden NFL 11 Cover Athlete

In April 2010, Drew Brees was voted by fans as the cover athlete of EA Sports Madden NFL 11 video game.

June 2010: Appointment to President's Council

In June 2010, President Obama appointed Drew Brees as co-chair of the newly renamed President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.

December 17, 2010: AP Male Athlete of the Year

On December 17, 2010, Drew Brees was named AP Male Athlete of the Year.

2010: Big Ten Icons

In 2010, Drew Brees was ranked number 48 on the documentary Big Ten Icons, featuring the conference's top fifty student-athletes.

2010: Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year

In 2010, Drew Brees was selected as Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year for his leadership in the Saints' Super Bowl victory and his contributions to the rebirth of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

2011: Brees's Completion Record

In 2011, Drew Brees set a then-NFL record of 468 completions.

2011: Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year Award

In 2011, The Big Ten Conference's Griese–Brees Quarterback of the Year award was named in his and Bob Griese's honor.

2012: Brees's Season Performance and Records

In 2012, Drew Brees threw a career-high five interceptions against the Atlanta Falcons, ending his touchdown streak. He surpassed Peyton Manning's record with his seventh straight 4,000-yard passing season. Brees finished the season with 5,177 passing yards and 43 touchdowns, despite the Saints missing the playoffs.

2012: Brees Ranked Second-Best Player

In 2012, Drew Brees was ranked as the second-best player in the league by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.

October 2013: NCAA Record Broken

In October 2013, Drew Brees's NCAA record for pass attempts in a game (83) was broken by Washington State quarterback Connor Halliday.

2013: Successful Season with Multiple Achievements

In 2013, Drew Brees and the Saints started the season 5-0, with Brees earning multiple Offensive Player of the Week awards. He passed Warren Moon on the career passing yards list and reached the 50,000-yard club. Brees was named to his eighth Pro Bowl, and the Saints finished 11-5, losing in the Divisional Round.

2013: Brees Selected to the Pro Bowl

In 2013, Drew Brees was selected to the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for Robert Griffin III and was ranked 11th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.

2013: Peyton Manning Breaks Brees's Record

In 2013, Peyton Manning surpassed Drew Brees's record by one passing yard, ending the season with an NFL-record 5,477 passing yards and averaging 342.31 yards per game.

2014: Frustrating Season with Record Achievements

Drew Brees described the 2014 season as his "most frustrating", despite moving into fourth place in career passing yardage and becoming the NFL's all-time leader in completion percentage. He earned an Offensive Player of the Week award and extended his streak to seven straight seasons with at least 30 touchdown passes and nine straight seasons of 4,000 passing yards. The Saints finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs.

2014: Brees Ranked Sixth by Peers

In 2014, Drew Brees was ranked sixth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players.

October 4, 2015: Brees's Overtime Touchdown and 400th Career Touchdown

On October 4, 2015, Drew Brees threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to C.J. Spiller in overtime, securing a 26-20 victory for the Saints over the Dallas Cowboys. This was Brees's 400th career touchdown, making him the fifth and fastest player in NFL history to reach this milestone. He also completed his 5,000th pass with a touchdown to Josh Hill, marking the quickest regular-season overtime win in NFL history at 13 seconds.

November 1, 2015: Brees Ties NFL Record with Seven Touchdown Passes

On November 1, 2015, Drew Brees tied the NFL record for touchdown passes in a single game with seven during a 52-49 Saints' victory over the New York Giants. He completed 39-of-50 passes for 505 yards, recording his second career game with at least 500 passing yards and earning him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

2015: Brees Ranked 30th by Peers

In 2015, Drew Brees was ranked 30th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players.

2016: Record-Breaking Season and Pro Bowl Selection

Drew Brees led the league in passing yards with 5,208 in 2016, setting a new NFL record of 471 completions. Despite his performance, the Saints finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs. Brees was named to his tenth career Pro Bowl. He was later ranked 16th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.

2016: Brees's Records and Team Struggles

In 2016, Drew Brees's streak of 45 consecutive games with a touchdown pass ended. He surpassed Dan Marino for fourth in career touchdown passes and reached the 60,000-yard milestone, achieving his 10th straight 4,000-yard season. Despite these achievements, the Saints finished with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs. He was ranked 30th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.

2016: Brees Throws Career-High Touchdown Pass

In the Saints' 2016 season opener, Drew Brees threw a career-high 98-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks. He finished the game with 423 passing yards and four touchdown passes, tying him with Peyton Manning for the most 400-yard passing games in NFL history.

December 19, 2017: Brees Named to 11th Career Pro Bowl

On December 19, 2017, Drew Brees was named to his 11th career Pro Bowl.

2017: Saints Division Titles

From 2017 to 2020, Drew Brees led the New Orleans Saints to four consecutive division titles.

2017: Brees Sets NFL Record for Completion Percentage

In 2017, Drew Brees set an NFL record for completion percentage (74.4%), breaking his previous record set in 2017. His streak of 12 consecutive seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards ended. He led the league in six fourth-quarter comebacks and seven game-winning drives.

2017: Brees Ranked 16th by Peers

In 2017, Drew Brees was ranked 16th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players.

2018: Brees Ranked Eighth by Peers

In 2018, Drew Brees was ranked eighth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players.

2018: Award Renamed in Honor of Alan Page

In the fall of 2018, the Byron "Whizzer" White NFL Man of the Year Award, previously named after Byron "Whizzer" White, was renamed in honor of Alan Page.

June 21, 2019: $6 Million Award in Lawsuit

On June 21, 2019, Drew Brees was awarded $6 million in the lawsuit against a San Diego jeweler.

2019: 2019 NFL Season Summary

During the 2019 NFL season, Drew Brees played in 11 games, finishing with 2,979 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and four interceptions. He also achieved a completion percentage of 74.34% and set a record for most matchups against a starting quarterback in the Super Bowl era.

2019: Brees Finishes Second in MVP Voting

In 2019, Drew Brees finished second in the MVP voting to Patrick Mahomes and was ranked as the second-best player in the NFL by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players.

December 19, 2020: Activation and Passing Record

On December 19, 2020, Drew Brees was activated after missing four games, and during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs, he surpassed Anthony Calvillo for first place in career passing yards in any professional outdoor gridiron football league.