INDIANAPOLIS – One of the most decorated student-athletes in school history adds another prestigious award to his collection, as legendary quarterback Drew Brees has been named a recipient for the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. Brees becomes just the fourth Boilermaker to earn the award throughout its history (1973-present), joining Bob Griese (1992), Leroy Keyes (1994) and Mike Phipps (1995).
Marking 25 years since the conclusion of their college sports careers, Silver Anniversary Award winners are recognized for continued excellence. The Silver Anniversary Award celebrates the achievements and contributions of former student-athletes who have excelled in their professional lives and continue to exemplify the values of collegiate athletics.
Brees, a Super Bowl MVP and Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards and second in touchdown passes after a legendary 20-year career. At Purdue, Brees rewrote the record books and led the Boilermakers to the 2000 Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance, earning national accolades for both athletic and academic excellence. As No. 1 Ohio State comes to town this weekend, it was Brees who led Purdue to an upset over the No. 12 Buckeyes 25 years ago on the Old Gold and Black’s way to the conference crown.
Off the field, Brees and his wife, Brittany, have donated over $50 million through their foundation, championing causes for children, families and cancer patients. His enduring legacy includes his philanthropic impact, military support through USO tours and transformative contributions to Purdue. In 2011, the Purdue’s student-athlete academic services facility was named the Drew and Brittany Brees Student-Athlete Academic Center - and subsequently the Brees Academic Performance Center in 2016 - in honor of Drew and Brittany's generous donation to support the continued academic success of Boilermaker student-athletes.
Brees arrived at Purdue as a little-known quarterback and left as one of the most-decorated players in school history, setting two NCAA records, 13 Big Ten Conference records and 19 Purdue records. The Boilermaker QB was a two-time Heisman Trophy finalist, two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and two-time first team all-conference selection. Brees also won the 2000 Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player and the "Chicago Tribune" Silver Football as the Big Ten Most Valuable Player. As a star in the classroom, he was the 2000 Academic All-American of the Year.
On the Big Ten career lists, Brees still ranks first in completions (1,026) and passing yards (11,792) and second in passing attempts (1,678), passing touchdowns (90) and total offense (12,692).
A member of Joe Tiller's first Purdue recruiting class, Brees served as Billy Dicken's understudy in 1997. He became the starter a year later and carried the Boilermakers to heights not reached in more than three decades.
Statistically, the 1998 season was Brees' best. He set school and conference marks for passing attempts (569), completions (361), yards (3,983), touchdowns (39) and total offense (4,176). In 2000, Brees broke his own total offense record with 4,189 yards. He completed 309 of 512 passes for 3,668 yards with 26 touchdowns, while rushing for 521 yards on 95 carries (5.5 average) with five touchdowns en route to leading the nation in total offense (358.1 yards per game).
There was more to Brees than his impressive statistics. He was the ultimate student-athlete, majoring in industrial management, and was extremely generous with his time in the community. Among his honors, certainly the most fitting was the inaugural Socrates Award, presented in January 2000, recognizing the nation's finest athlete in terms of academics, athletics and community service.
Brees was inducted into the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2016.
Other past Silver Anniversary Award recipients include: Troy Aikman, Tim Duncan, Doug Flutie, Mia Hamm, Bo Jackson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Rebecca Lobo, Peyton Manning, Dikembe Mutombo, David Robinson and Steve Young.
Brees will receive his Silver Anniversary Award at the NCAA Convention in January.