Feb. 12, 2010 | Paul F. South
For Drew Brees, Sunday night's Super Bowl victory was the culmination of a journey of faith that began four years ago.
"I've said before that coming to New Orleans was a calling," Brees, the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLIV told reporters. "God puts you in a place for a reason. At the time, (I) said ‘I'm not sure, but I believe You.'"
Sunday night, New Orleans upset favored Indianapolis, 31-17. Brees tied a Super Bowl record for completions with 32, and was second in all-time completion percentage in the Super Bowl. Brees was 32 of 39 for 288 yards and two touchdowns on the way to the MVP.
But beyond the numbers, faith is at the heart of the quarterback and his team's unexpected Super Bowl story. In 2006, the Saints, a team with its city in shambles after Hurricane Katrina, took a gamble on a quarterback virtually no one wanted. His shoulder was shredded in 2005, and he was without a contract. New Orleans signed Brees, and the quarterback, a franchise, a region and a city rebuilt -- together.
The emotion of the moment also flashed Sunday. As he cradled his son Baylen in his arms in the confetti-laced postgame celebration in Miami, tears of joy rolled down the quarterback's face. That same feeling showed in his post game comments, as his voice quivered as he remembered the team's four year journey.
"Four years ago, who would've thought this would be happening," Brees said. "Eighty-five percent of the city was under water. All of its residents evacuated to places all over the country. Most people not knowing if the if the New Orleans would come back or the organization or the team would come back."
Back then, rookie coach Sean Payton, crafted a team made up of a core of free agents, who like Brees, had been cast aside by other teams. But a foundation was laid that would bring winning to a hard-luck franchise, and hope to a heartbroken region.
"We all looked at one another and said. ‘We're going to rebuild together; we're going to lean on each other.' This is the culmination of all that belief and that faith," Brees said.
Since arriving in the Crescent City, Brees and his family have embraced New Orleans, and the football-crazy town has reciprocated. Through his Brees Dream Foundation, Brees and his wife Brittany have been a force in the rebuilding of New Orleans, investing in a town that invested in him.
And on Sunday night in Miami, Brees took a handoff from Coach Sean Payton, he never would have expected four years ago, as the coach passed the Vince Lombardi Trophy to his quarterback.
"We just believe in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us," said Brees. "I've tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time and it's even better than I expected. God is great."
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