NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Drew Brees left three hours early for the Superdome and still nearly missed the Saints’ homecoming.
The quarterback was new to New Orleans and unfamiliar with the city’s back streets when traffic surrounded the Superdome before the Saints’ 2006 home opener against the Atlanta Falcons.
Brees tried Airline Drive. It was packed. He tried I-10. It was packed.
“I’m literally sitting on I-10 at the Poydras exit,” Brees said. “I could see the Superdome, but now I’m, like, way past on my routine.”
Fans with “Home Sweet Dome” banner during first game at newly rebuilt Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana, video still(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Players were required to be in the locker room two hours before kickoff. Brees was concerned about more than a possible fine.
“This is the biggest game of my life,” Brees said. “I can’t believe that I’m late to the game.”
Brees began jumping curbs as he tried to reach Garage 5. When he arrived, he realized the safari rack on his vehicle might not clear the garage ceiling.
It did not.
“Sparks fly,” Brees said. “And now I’m stuck under one of these metal water pipes in the parking garage.”
Brees said he accelerated to free the vehicle, backed out of the garage and pulled onto a curb. He then jumped out and began running toward the stadium as security officers approached.
“I toss him my keys,” Brees said. “I’m like, ‘Thank you. I gotta go.’”
FILE – In this Sept. 25, 2006, file photo, the New Orleans Saints take the field for their football game against the Atlanta Falcons at the newly re-opened Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. When the New Orleans Saints host rival Atlanta on Monday night, it’ll mark the 10-year anniversary of the stadium’s reopening, and a victory over the Falcons that symbolized a city’s determination to rebuild from one of the worst natural disasters in American history. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)(ALEX BRANDON | AP)
Brees quickly dressed and ran onto the field with his heart pounding. General Manager Mickey Loomis approached him after hearing about the trouble.
“Hey, you’re here. It’s gonna be a great night,” Brees recalled Loomis telling him. “Just relax. Go have fun.”
Brees said he did not see the play that sent the Superdome crowd into a frenzy early in the game. He was preparing for the Saints’ first offensive possession when he heard it.
“All of a sudden, you know, it’s like a shotgun blast,” Brees said. “And then the roar of the crowd. You’d thought the roof just exploded off the building.”
FILE – In this Sept. 25, 2006 file photo, New Orleans Saints’ Steve Gleason (37) sprints through the end zone after blocking an Atlanta Falcons punt in the first quarter of their NFL football game at the newly re-opened Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. The Saints recovered for a touchdown. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)(BILL HABER | AP)
The Saints defeated the Falcons 23-3 one year after Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans went on to win 10 regular-season games and reach the first NFC championship game in franchise history.
“If 2006 doesn’t happen, then I don’t know that we’re winning the Super Bowl in 2009, if ever at all,” Former Saints wide receiver Lance Moore recalled.
The season also marked the beginning of the partnership between Brees and coach Sean Payton.
File-This Sept. 25, 2006, file photo shows New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson, left, hugging coach Sean Payton after their football game with Atlanta Falcons at the newly re-opened Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Payton sees Monday night’s matchup with rival Atlanta as a separate event from the 10th anniversary of the Superdome’s reopening after Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)(ALEX BRANDON | AP)
Those who worked with them said Brees turned Payton’s complicated offensive language into something his teammates could understand. Their shared approach to play-calling, preparation and offensive football helped shape the Saints for the next 15 years.
“Very few, if any at all, saw the game the same way in terms of play call or personnel decisions, the way the roster is built, as a Drew Brees and a Sean Payton,” Former Saints quarterback Luke McCown said.
Brees’ preparation continued long after practice ended.
Teammates recalled seeing him rehearse the entire offensive script in front of a mirror, working through his play-action fake, first read, second read, third read and checkdown.
“One of Drew’s superpowers is how hard he works at mastering his part of the offense,” Loomis said. “He’s going to master it through repetition.”
From 2008 through 2016, Brees recorded five seasons with more than 5,000 passing yards. Four came with Payton coaching the team. Brees also passed for nearly 5,200 yards in 2012 while Payton was suspended.
Former Saints running back Mark Ingram described Brees as a coach, offensive coordinator and one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history wrapped into one person inside the huddle.
The partnership began with a 2006 season that helped change expectations for the franchise.
But before Brees could help reopen the Superdome, he first had to escape traffic, free his vehicle from a garage pipe and sprint into the stadium.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.