NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Drew Brees has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a first-ballot inductee, a distinction that traces back to a recruiting visit through the streets of a city still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.
Brees and his wife, Brittany, toured New Orleans with then-first-year Saints head coach Sean Payton before signing with the team. Payton, who got lost during the drive, said the city was in a difficult period of recovery at the time. Brees and Brittany said the visit convinced them New Orleans was where they were needed most.
The signing was a pivotal moment for the Saints, who needed a quarterback. Brees was coming off a career-threatening shoulder injury.
Brees and Payton spent 15 seasons together with the Saints. The partnership produced a Super Bowl ring and a host of NFL records. Brees wore No. 9.
Brees will become the fifth Saints player enshrined in Canton. He is five years removed from his final snap in black and gold.
The Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8, in Canton, Ohio.
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