Midway through Drew Brees’ news conference Thursday, Cam Jordan bolted into the auditorium at the Saints' facility and grabbed a seat in the third row.
The future Saints Hall of Famer wanted to hear what the newest Saints Hall of Famer had to say.
Jordan wasn’t the only current Saint in the crowd. Taysom Hill and Erik McCoy were there, too, as was head coach Dennis Allen and most of his current coaching staff. Each one took a break from meetings to attend the news conference to announce Brees’ induction into the Saints Hall of Fame.
Throughout his question-and-answer session with local reporters, Brees showed why he is not only the greatest player in Saints history but also their greatest leader. It was a master class in management, a TED talk on the importance of culture and leadership.
He spoke for 32 minutes, and the majority of that time was spent talking about people other than himself. His family. His former teammates and coaches. The support staff. Even the fans.
“Honestly, the best memories were the people and my teammates,” he said. “I felt like we had something really, really unique here. You always talk about how you build a great team. Well, you got to have a great core (of leaders). And when you have the great core, that's what helps define the culture. What makes that are the people.”
In an era when self-promotion has become not just popular but standard operating procedure, Brees deflected praise and spread the love to others, just as he did from the pocket as a passer.
He praised receivers Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Robert Meachem and Lance Moore, who played with him for most of his prime years.
“They inspired us all, and certainly made my job a lot easier," he said.
He credited his offensive linemen — Jermon Bushrod, Carl Nicks, Jon Goodwin, Jahri Evans, Jon Stinchcomb and Zach Strief — and choked up when he talked about a photo of the group that he has displayed in his home office.
“I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish any of those things without them,” he said. “... They were the reason I wanted to walk in here every day and be my best, was for guys like that.”
On and on it went. Reporters asked questions about Brees. Brees gave answers about others. Even the Team Gleason T-shirt he wore under his sports coat was his way of honoring a former teammate, longtime friend Steve Gleason.
The briefing was the end of a full day for Brees. He attended the Saints' OTA practice in the morning and spoke briefly to the team afterward. He spent the afternoon shepherding his kids around the facility, including a swim session in the pool and hot tub in the training room.
Only 12 players remain on the roster who played with Brees in New Orleans, so for many of the players, it was their first time meeting him.
While the Saints have their share of strong leaders — among them Jordan, McCoy, Hill, Demario Davis and Tyrann Mathieu — they could always use a few more to emerge from the young core on the roster. A visit with one of the great leaders in NFL history can enhance their development.
Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis have talked a lot about culture this offseason. What it is. What it looks like when it’s right. Along those lines, they’ve emphasized the need for accountability and stressed the importance of selflessness, reliability and loyalty.
Brees was the living embodiment of those traits, the epitome of a servant leader. In 15 seasons, he missed only 10 games because of injury. He played with broken ribs, sprained knees and a painful torn plantar fascia ligament in his foot. And in that time, he rarely missed a rep in practice much less a day of work.
Equally important, he treated everyone in the building with respect and love. Like all great leaders, he understood and appreciated that everyone played an important role in the mission, not just the star players and coaches.
“It’s about who you’re accountable to … the organization that gave you an opportunity and the teammates who come in and just fight it out every day to help you, to help the team,” Brees said. “That’s what makes you want to win championships for them, to make them proud.”
Brees reserved some of his best comments for New Orleans, a city he’d visited only once before landing here as a player in 2006. He arrived at a time when the city was still in the throes of recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Desperate for strong, competent leadership, New Orleanians rallied around him and head coach Sean Payton. During the toughest of times, they gave New Orleanians a reason to stick out their chest and hold their heads high. They inspired an entire population and became role models for New Orleanians of all ages, races and stripes.
“There are not many opportunities in life where you get a chance to be a part of something greater than yourself,” Brees said. “It was about resurrecting one of America's greatest cities, and we had a chance to be a part of that. And we're forever changed.”
So, too, is New Orleans, thanks to Brees.
Brees' recognition as the greatest player in Saints history is irrefutable. His No. 9 jersey already has been unofficially "officially" retired. His induction in the team's Hall of Fame will be the first of many to come. And one day soon, he'll be recognized in the club's Ring of Honor.
But what made Drew Brees truly special was not how he played, but how he led.
