After Drew Brees lifted the New Orleans Saints to the most successful season in club history and was voted All-Pro and a Pro Bowl starter in '06, the veteran quarterback had a sparkling encore last season, twice winning NFC Player of the Week, NFL single-season record for completions (440), and also setting team records for passing yards (4,423), touchdowns (28), completion percentage (67.5), games with over 250 passing yards (11) and passing attempts (652).

In the last game of the '08 season, behind by 2 points with time for one play left, needing 15 yards to break Dan Marino's all-time NFL passing record, (15 yards the Carolina Panthers were willing to give him, but no more), Drew played to win for the Saints rather than his own record.
 
In '06 Brees led the Saints to the NFC Championship, was named AP's All-Pro and co-NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year. He signed a six-year Saints contract in '06 after ranking as one of NFL's top quarterbacks the previous two years with San Diego, departing as the Chargers' all-time leader for career completion percentage (62.2). Originally drafted by San Diego in '01, in '04 Brees was selected to the Pro Bowl, and earned a host of awards, including the AP Comeback Player of the Year.

Brees' extensive list of honors include: '07 NFC Offensive Player of the Week twice. '06 Pro Bowl starter; co-NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year; Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers of America All-Pro & All-NFC; AP, Sporting News, and USA?Today All-Pro; Sports Illustrated MVP; NFL FedEx Air Player of the Year; twice NFC Offensive Player of the Week; and three time FedEx Air Player of the Week. '05 Pro Bowl alternate; AFC Offensive Player of the Week; and FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week. '04 CBSSportsline.com Most Improved Player; FoxSports.com ad Dallas Morning News Comeback Player of the Year; Pro Football Weekly and Sports Illustrated Most Improved Player; Football Digest, College & Pro Football Newsweekly All-Pro; AFC Player of the Week; and twice FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week.

Brees had an honor-filled career at Purdue: twice  Heisman Trophy finalist, Maxwell Award recipient, Davey O'Brien Award finalist, and ended his college career as Big Ten and Purdue's all-time leader in passing yards, TD passes, total yards, completion percentage, completions and attempts. He led the Boilermakers to the Rose Bowl, twice named Big Ten Player of Year and all-conference accolades three times. He was Academic All-America Player of Year, Leonard Wilson Award recipient, first recipient of the Socrates Award as the nation's finest athlete in terms of academics, athletics and community service, twice Purdue's Male Athlete of Year, '01 Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor,  and earned a degree in industrial management and manufacturing graduating with a 3.4 GPA.

Off the field, Brees' accolades are equally as impressive. He's visited troops, held a benefit for NFL's Youth Education Town, and rebuilt a school football facility. He's renovated a Children's Hospital van, donated to youth football programs, sponsored The Drew Brees Gridiron Classic for Pop Warner and American Youth Football teams, landscaped a school, and his Brees Dream Foundation's annual golf tournament funds children's causes in New Orleans and San Diego. He also holds "Brees on the Seas" that takes children deep sea fishing with his teammates.

Brees and his wife, Brittany, have restored an old home in uptown New Orleans.

Brees is a wind of force we're extremely proud to honor as this year's male recipient.