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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
The signing was a pivotal moment for the Saints, who needed a quarterback. Brees was coming off a career-threatening shoulder injury.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Brees will become the fifth Saints player enshrined in Canton. He is five years removed from his final snap in black and gold.<\/p>\n
The Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8, in Canton, Ohio.<\/p>\n
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here<\/a> to report it. Please include the headline.<\/p>\n