San Francisco — Drew Brees became the first New Orleans Saints player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the first ballot Thursday night at the NFL Honors show before Super Bowl LX. He met with the media for a press conference afterward.
Here’s the full transcript of his press conference with reporters:
Q: You said tonight has been a night of reflection for you. What have you reflected about?
A: So much. It’s still pretty surreal. I think moment by moment, it becomes more real. A few hours ago, walking in the room with the class (of 2026) for the first time. Obviously, there’s that first knock on the door and all of a sudden there’s Dan Fouts in his gold jacket, telling you that you’re the next member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
A few hours ago, walking into the room with the class for the first time, there’s Luke Kuechly, who I shared many battles with, and honestly, is the greatest defensive player I ever played against, a guy who I have so much respect for. He set a standard that was just unmatched. He truly brought out the best in me and us every time we played them. To see him and to be able to share some memories and moments was special.
Larry Fitzgerald, who I’ve always had such a special bond with. We were young players at the same time early in our young careers. I knew I was never going to get a chance to play with him because they were gonna never let him out of Arizona, and I was never leaving New Orleans. So we only got to play in Pro Bowls together (laughs), which was always such a joy and something I just relished.
And Adam Vinatieri, arguably one of the greatest kickers of all time, if not the greatest. He had really, like, two Hall of Fame careers on two separate teams.
And then, Roger Craig. When I say we used to watch old 49ers film, and of course, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice get a lot of the reps, but Roger was the secret sauce. He was the one, who really revolutionized the all-purpose back (role). I think about all the guys that I played with that benefited from that, guys like LaDainian Tomlinson and Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas. It’s really unbelievable when I look at the class and just how special it is and just how honored and humbled I am to be a part of it.
Q: Can you tell us what it was like to get the kick on the door from the Hall of Fame? Was it a surprise?
A: Yeah, it was. So my son, Baylen, and I share a birthday. He was born on my 30th birthday. By the way, that kid right now is 17 years old right now. He’s driving, which is nuts. Our birthday was on Thursday, Jan. 15, and that weekend was kind of his birthday weekend. Monday rolled around — Martin Luther King Day — and my daughter was like, Dad, I want to take you out to dinner for your birthday. I was just, like, this is great. So she’s like, you need to be ready by 5 (p.m.). So my wife and my daughter are ready by 5 to go out to eat. The boys are coming too, but they’re kind of dragging. They’re upstairs in their rooms and I tell them, boys, Rylen said 5 o’clock. We’ve got to leave. Let’s respect that. And the boys are dragging. I’m starting to get upset. Little did I know that Brittany and Rylen, had told them to stall. I’m getting ready to drive away. I’m gonna teach these boys a lesson. And the next thing you know there’s a knock at the door and then there’s Dan Fouts, in his gold jacket. I’m like, ah, you guys set me up. You got me.
Q: How would describe the relationship you had with New Orleans?
A: The first thing I would say is none of this is possible without Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis believing in me at a time when it was kind of hard for me to believe myself, coming off that (shoulder) injury. So those guys just saw something in me, believed in me, and that equipped and empowered me to be the best that I could be. Without that confidence or without that belief, this wouldn’t happen. Certainly, I never would have had the opportunity to come to New Orleans.
The story’s well documented right? About the moment? Sean got lost (on Brees’ free agency visit to New Orleans), and Brittany and I are looking at each other and just saying, this is about so much more than just football. This is a calling for us. I know New Orleans was looking for a quarterback. But I promise you, I needed New Orleans more than New Orleans needed me. And I had a chance to be a part of something just special that most people don’t get a chance to be a part of, something that’s just so much bigger than them. And we’re all so much better for it.
Q: When you think about your journey, going back all the way to Austin, having only two Division I college offers, and then to be on this stage. Can you reflect on your journey to get here?
A: Look, I took a ton of pride in being a Texas kid. Obviously, football is a big deal in the state of Texas, as it is in the state of Louisiana. Ever since they wrote the book “Friday Night Lights,” I remember that was my book report in fourth grade and sitting there going, Man, I want to feel that, I want to be a part of this. Every kid from Texas grows up with that. So I took a lot of pride in that. And so I didn’t get the opportunity to play college football in Texas at one of the Southwest Conference schools, so I had to go to Purdue to do it. But I feel like I always carried that with me, that sense of pride and where I came from and what I was representing. And I’d say that just carried on with me in every phase. When I left Purdue and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers, I was kind of carrying both those places with me. And then when I came to the New Orleans Saints, I was still carrying that with me. And now that I’m retired and going into the Hall of Fame, I think, more so than anything, I carry the city of New Orleans with me and our fan base and my teammates. I’m carrying so many of those guys that were a part of this journey that had influence and had a piece of (my journey). That’s what these next seven months are going to be before being enshrined is just a reflection of all the people who are involved.
Q: Who all do you have here with you tonight?
A: Family. Brittany was here. The three boys were here. My daughter (Rylen) had a gymnastics meet, and she probably wouldn’t have as much fun as the boys are having, seeing all their heroes and all the guys on their fantasy teams. Yeah, the boys are pretty stoked right now.
Q: Thinking back to those moments, driving around New Orleans for the first time in 2006. If you could talk to 2006 Drew now, what would that conversation be like?
A: Oh, man. I’d probably say, it’s going to be a pretty amazing ride, which it has been.
Q: When you hear from guys Like Cam Jordan, Demario Davis and Benjamin Watson and other former teammates, and they say, man, we cannot wait to see Drew Brees enshrined into the Hall of Fame or be elected into the Hall of Fame as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. What does that mean to you?
A: I hope that they know that they’re as big a part of this as anybody, especially the guys that you mentioned. Those are the three of the greatest teammates I could have ever asked for. Iron sharpens iron as one man sharpens another. So that was the approach that we took each and every day. We were going to try to bring out the best in each other. And we believe in each other. We hold each other accountable. But I wanted to win for those guys. I wanted to win so bad for those guys every time in the field. That’s why we were able to accomplish what we were able to accomplish.
Q: Has it hit you yet? Now you’re a Hall of Famer?
A: Little by little, little by little. I think each of these moments, the reality sets in. Tomorrow is the Merlin Olson luncheon, and everybody’s like, oh, just wait, just wait. So I just get the feeling that each and every step here is going to be more and more of a reality. The moment tonight when we (the 2026 Hall of Fame class) were walking on stage, but then when all the Hall of Famers walked up there, and it was all of a sudden just like, Welcome, you’re here, you’re in. It’s, like, you just got into a really elite club and you still have no idea what’s about to happen.
Q: Gayle Benson called you after the announcement. Can you share her message?
A: Yeah, yeah. She congratulated me. I talked to Mickey (Loomis). I talked with Sean (Payton). Obviously, three incredibly influential people in my life. Really, Sean and Mickey are the reason that was that I came to New Orleans.
Q: Did you find motivation in some of those moments, like coming out of high school, not being recruited by Texas or the San Diego situation?
A: Look, there’s plenty of the chip on the shoulder, something to prove (motivation). Hey, you’re too short, too slow, not enough arm strength, blah, blah, blah. But I don’t know. I took pride in being a 6-foot quarterback and maybe having to win in a different way. And I look at my journey. First off, I didn’t know any better. I don’t know what it’s like to be a prototype quarterback, I had a little bit of “figure-it-out” to me. Also, I had some great people, great coaches, great mentors. Look, I couldn’t have been drafted into a better situation than to play with Doug Flutie (in San Diego). I saw Doug today, and it’s, like, every time I see him, it’s like no time has passed. It’s like we’re back in the locker room together, and that’s the way I feel about a lot of my teammates.
But Doug, especially, because he just played the game differently. He was 5-9 ½, 180 pounds. He was throwing back shoulder throws before anybody was. He would backpedal a seven step drop from under center, and then he would just kind of wind his way through and he’d throw these no look passes and sidearm. But you just watch and observe and you just begin to glean all of those things and make it a part of your game and understand the why, and OK, well this is how you combat being shorter and maybe you can’t see, you don’t have the vision, but I know the back feet of the safety’s there and the end cut’s going to be right there. So I’m just going to time it with a trust and anticipation and at least accuracy.
And then being with Marty Schottenheimer. Marty deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. He was a huge, huge impact for me earlier in my career. So yeah, I look at every step of the journey. It was was all meant to be.
Q: What about the idea of a whole generation of Saints fans kind of grew up with knowing that nothing but success when it comes to the Saints based on the stuff you were able to do?
A: I hope that’s a good thing. That’s a good thing because high expectations are all right. I think it just makes you work harder. It sets the standard is what it does. And that started with Sean (Payton). He empowered the leaders to go and hold everybody accountable to that. And I played with so many great leaders, great guys that bought into that and believed that. And it resulted in a lot of that success. And look, I think there’s always the next generation, and hopefully we’re entering into another generation of Saints football that’s going to be prosperous here for a long time.
Q: Your thoughts on (former teammate) Jahri Evans. I know you would have liked to have had him the class with you.
A: Sean Payton has said it best. And this isn’t to pat ourselves on the back, but it’s just the truth. If you look at those 15 years, they’re the greatest offense in the history of football. When you just look at yards and production and touchdowns and points and just everything. That’s not to take anything away from anyone else. There’s some incredible offenses that we would watch and try to emulate — the old Bill Walsh offenses and the Rams and even the Patriots and the Colts with (Peyton) Manning — that we would just watch and try to take certain things from. But you just look at that production, it was the greatest display of offensive football over the course of 15 years. So you can’t tell me that there’s just one person that is going in the Hall of Fame as a result of all of that. There was quite a few that had significant contributions, so we wouldn’t have been what we were without it. I think that stands for something. And now add on the fact that Jahri was All-Pro five times and was arguably the best guard in football while we played. So he’s just one. But it certainly he’s the next one who absolutely deserves to be inducted.