Reporter: IT WAS THE
DAY THAT NEW ORLEANS' SAINTS
FANS WAITED ON FOR 40 YEARS,
THE DAY THEIR BELOVED SAINTS
WOULD FINALLY WIN THE SUPER
BOWL.
IT CAME ON THE LEADERSHIP
AND ARM OF QUARTERBACK DREW
BREES, WHO DID WHAT MANY
THOUGHT WAS CLOSE TO
UNBELIEVABLE.
AN UNBELIEVABLE FEELING,
IT IS SURREAL, TO THINK THAT
IT ACTUALLY DID HAPPEN.
Reporter: BUT A GREAT
STORY ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE
ENDING.
IT IS ALSO ABOUT THE
JOURNEY.
DREW AND HIS YOUNGER
BROTHER, REED, GREW UP IN
AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND FOOTBALL WASN'T HIS
FAVORITE SPORT.
BASEBALL WAS MY FAVORITE
SPORT.
WE PLAYED ALL SPORTS.
MY BROTHER AND I WERE SPORTS
JUNKIES.
EVERY FREE SECOND WE HAD WAS
OUT IN THE YARD PITCHING TO
EACH OTHER OR TACKLING EACH
OTHER, PLAYING TENNIS -- IT
WAS ALWAYS ATHLETIC.
Reporter: BUT BY HIGH
SCHOOL, DREW EXCELLED IN
FOOTBALL AS A QUARTERBACK.
HE LOOKED FORWARD TO PLAYING
AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL, BUT IN
HIS JUNIOR YEAR, HE SUFFERED
A TORN A.C.L., AND AT THE
TIME, HIS FUTURE IN FOOTBALL
LOOKED DIM.
I HAD SEEN A LOT OF MY
FRIENDS TEAR A.C.L.s, AND
SOME OF THEM DIDN'T COME
BACK AS FAST AS BEFORE.
THE FACT AS A TORN A.C.L.
WAS DEVASTATING TO ME
BECAUSE I THOUGHT I MIGHT
NOT COME BACK AS STRONG.
Reporter: ONE SUNDAY AT
CHURCH, SOMETHING THE PASTOR
SAID CHANGED EVERYTHING.
I WAS 17 YEARS OLD,
SITTING IN CHURCH WITH A
TORN A.C.L., CRUTCHES, JUST
KIND OF WONDERING WHAT -- IF
FOOTBALL WERE NOT HERE FOR
ME, OR IF SPORTS WEREN'T
HERE FOR ME, WHAT'S MY
CALLING IN LIFE?
WHAT IS MY PURPOSE?
WHAT AM I HERE TO DO?
WHAT IS GOD'S PURPOSE FOR
ME.
FOR SOME REASON IT ALL HIT
ME.
HIS CALL TO THE CONGREGATION
WAS THAT GOD WAS LOOKING FOR
A FEW GOOD MEN TO CARRY THE
TORCH AND THAT REPRESENT THE
CHRISTIAN FAITH AND TO
LEAD.
I JUST REMEMBER THINKING TO
MYSELF, MAN, I'D LIKE TO BE
ONE OF THOSE FEW GOOD MEN.
Reporter: DREW BECAME A
CHRISTIAN THAT DAY.
WITH A NEW PURPOSE, HE WAS
DETERMINED THAT NOTHING
WOULD STAND IN HIS WAY.
GOD DOES HAVE A PURPOSE
FOR ME THAT IS MUCH GREATER
THAN FOOTBALL.
Reporter: DREW WENT ON
TO FINISH HIS HIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL CAREER WITH A 28
AND 0 RECORD.
HE LED THE BOILER-MAKERS TO
THE 2000 ROSE BOWL.
HE WAS DRAFTED BY THE SAN
DIEGO CHARGERS.
HE SPENT FIVE SEASONS THERE
UNTIL HE DISLOCATED HIS
THROWING SHOULDER WHILE
TRYING TO RECOVER A FUMBLE.
ONCE AGAIN, DREW'S FUTURE IN
FOOTBALL WITH QUESTIONABLE.
I WAS GIVEN A 25% CHANCE
OF COMING BACK AND PLAYING.
THAT COULD VERY EASILY PUT A
LOT OF DOUBT IN YOUR HEART.
BUT EVER SINCE, YOU KNOW,
THAT MOMENT IN HIGH SCHOOL,
WHEN I TRULY ACCEPTED THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING A
CHRISTIAN AND ACCEPTED JESUS
INTO MY HEART, AND KNOWING
THAT I'M LIVING FOR A LOT
MORE THAN MYSELF.
I'M LIVING FOR HIM AND THE
CALL THAT WE ALL HAVE AS
CHRISTIANS.
I KNEW THAT MY FAITH WAS
STRONG AND THAT AS LONG AS I
RELIED ON THAT AND KNEW THAT
THERE WAS A PLAN, AND I JUST
HAD TO BELIEVE IT.
I JUST HAD TO TRUST IT.
Reporter: IN JUST TWO
MONTHS, DREW HAD FULLY
RECOVERED.
BUT BY THEN, THE CHARGERS'
DECIDED TO GO WITH PHILIP
RIVERS AS A STARTER.
DREW DECIDED TO MOVE ON.
THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, A TEAM
ON THE RISE, AND THE NEW
ORLEANS SAINTS, A LOSING
TEAM IN A CITY STILL PICKING
UP THE PIECES FROM HURRICANE
KATRINA.
HERE IS MIAMI, NICK SAVEN
WENT NINE AND SEVEN, AND
THEY WON THEIR LAST SEVEN IN
A ROW.
THEY WERE A TEAM ON THE UP
AND UP.
AND THEN HERE IS NEW
ORLEANS, WHICH IS A
FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH.
NOBODY KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT
OUT OF SEAN PEYTON.
A CITY THAT HAD JUST BEEN
COMPLETELY DEVASTATEED BY
HURRICANE KATRINA.
THE TEAM HAD BEEN
DISPLACED.
3 AND 13 RECORD.
COMING BACK, HALLOWING BACK,
AND THESE ARE MY CHOICES.
SO FROM AN OUTSIDER'S
PERSPECTIVE, YOU WOULD THINK
THAT THE OBVIOUS CHOICE
WOULD BE THE MIAMI DOLPHINS,
AND YET WHEN YOU GET PASSED
THE SURFACE AND DIG A LITTLE
DEEPER, YOU SEE THE HEART
AND SOUL OF A CITY THAT JUST
NEEDED SOMEBODY TO BELIEVE
IN THEM.
AND HERE I WAS JUST NEEDING
SOMEBODY TO BELIEVE IN ME.
Reporter: DURING THEIR
VISIT TO NEW ORLEANS, DREW
AND HIS WIFE, BRITTANY, SAW
THE DEVASTATION OF HURRICANE
KATRINA WITH THEIR OWN
EYES.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHEN
BRITTANY AND I BOTH LOOKED
AT EACH OTHER AND THOUGHT,
THIS IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST
COMING TO BE A PART OF A
TEAM.
THIS IS COMING TO BE A PART
OF SOMETHING MUCH GREATER.
AND THAT IS THE REBUILDING
OF A CITY.
Reporter: DREW SIGNED
WITH THE SAINTS IN 2006.
FOUR SEASONS LATER, HE LED
THEM TO NOT ONLY THEIR FIRST
SUPER BOWL, BUT TO VICTORY.
IT WASN'T JUST THROUGH
FOOTBALL THAT DREW HAS
BECOME A BEACON OF HOPE TO
NEW ORLEANS AND THE STATE OF
LOUISIANA.
TOGETHER WITH HIS WIFE,
WHITNEY, HE FOUNDED "THE
BREES DREAM FOUNDATION."
AND DREW HAS ALSO WRITTEN A
BOOK ENTITLED "COMING BACK
STRONGER," WHICH CHRONICLES
HIS JOURNEY WITH THE
UNDERLYING MESSAGE OF NEVER
GIVING UP AND FOLLOWING
GOD'S PLAN.
I LIVE FOR GOD AND THE
FAITH I HAVE FOR HIM, AND
KNOWING THE SACRIFICES THAT
JESUS CHRIST MADE ON THE
CROSS FOR ME.
AND JUST FEELING LIKE IT IS
IN GOD'S HANDS.
AND ALL I HAVE TO DO IS JUST
GIVE IT MY BEST, COMMIT THE
REST TO HIM, AND EVERYTHING
ELSE IS TAKEN CARE OF.
THAT TAKES A WEIGHT OFF MY
SHOULDERS.
I THINK THAT WOULD TAKE A
WEIGHT OFF ANYBODY'S
SHOULDERS.
TO GIVE YOU CONFIDENCE TO
KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT
SOMEBODY LOOKING OUT FOR YOU.
