Former Boilermaker quarterback Drew Brees will serve as an assistant coach for Purdue's Cheez-It Citrus Bowl clash with LSU on Jan. 2.
Fresh off his exemplary 20-year NFL career (2001-20), Brees will relocate to West Lafayette during the coaching transition to lend his knowledge, acumen and experiences to the squad of current Boilers. Hired as a countable assistant coach per NCAA guidelines, Brees will have the ability to work on-field with student-athletes and participate in recruiting activities.
Brees has donated millions of dollars to Purdue University and the John Purdue Club, from the Brees Academic Performance Center that bears his name to the renovation of the football complex and Ross-Ade Stadium. A consistent supporting presence for the Boilermakers, he has represented the university in a variety of leadership capacities and has been at the forefront of the department's ongoing Name, Image and Likeness efforts via the Boilermaker Alliance.
Brees, a Super Bowl champion and MVP (XLIV, 2010) with the New Orleans Saints, retired from the NFL holding the league's all-time records for career touchdown passes, completions, yardage and completion percentage. He was a 15-year team captain for the Saints and led the squad to nine playoff appearances and seven division titles.
Brees was the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in 12-straight seasons, including an NFL-record five 5,000-yard passing seasons. He was selected 12 times to the Pro Bowl, a Saints record.
The bowl game against LSU, the first Boilermaker-Tiger matchup in program history, will provide the opportunity for Purdue to post back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time since the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Those two campaigns, the beginning of head coach Joe Tiller's legendary career at Purdue, were Brees' freshman and sophomore years wearing the Old Gold & Black.
Brees' college career at Purdue (1997-2000) included leading the Boilers to their second-ever Rose Bowl to close the 2000 season. He was an Academic All-American as a senior, as well as the 2000 Maxwell Award winner (nation's most outstanding player). His name tops numerous career passing categories in Purdue's record book: yards, completions, attempts and touchdowns.
Fresh off his exemplary 20-year NFL career (2001-20), Brees will relocate to West Lafayette during the coaching transition to lend his knowledge, acumen and experiences to the squad of current Boilers. Hired as a countable assistant coach per NCAA guidelines, Brees will have the ability to work on-field with student-athletes and participate in recruiting activities.
Brees has donated millions of dollars to Purdue University and the John Purdue Club, from the Brees Academic Performance Center that bears his name to the renovation of the football complex and Ross-Ade Stadium. A consistent supporting presence for the Boilermakers, he has represented the university in a variety of leadership capacities and has been at the forefront of the department's ongoing Name, Image and Likeness efforts via the Boilermaker Alliance.
Brees, a Super Bowl champion and MVP (XLIV, 2010) with the New Orleans Saints, retired from the NFL holding the league's all-time records for career touchdown passes, completions, yardage and completion percentage. He was a 15-year team captain for the Saints and led the squad to nine playoff appearances and seven division titles.
Brees was the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for more than 4,000 yards in 12-straight seasons, including an NFL-record five 5,000-yard passing seasons. He was selected 12 times to the Pro Bowl, a Saints record.
The bowl game against LSU, the first Boilermaker-Tiger matchup in program history, will provide the opportunity for Purdue to post back-to-back nine-win seasons for the first time since the 1997 and 1998 seasons. Those two campaigns, the beginning of head coach Joe Tiller's legendary career at Purdue, were Brees' freshman and sophomore years wearing the Old Gold & Black.
Brees' college career at Purdue (1997-2000) included leading the Boilers to their second-ever Rose Bowl to close the 2000 season. He was an Academic All-American as a senior, as well as the 2000 Maxwell Award winner (nation's most outstanding player). His name tops numerous career passing categories in Purdue's record book: yards, completions, attempts and touchdowns.