Saints Bring Home the Lombardi Trophy
Michael D. Hurst
Issue date: 2/17/10 Section: Sports
For the city of New Orleans, winning a Super Bowl was a long time coming. After being awarded a franchise in 1966 and playing their first game in 1967, Saints fans would have to wait until the team's 21st season in the NFL before they had a winning record. In 1987 the Saints had their first winning season with a record of 12-3. Some more successful seasons followed, but it wasn't until 2006 that the Saints became serious contenders.
In 2006, the Saints put together the pieces that would enable them to win a Super Bowl. Following a disappointing 3-13 season in 2005, the Saints made an overhaul of their entire roster. They started by hiring Sean Payton as their head coach and followed by drafting Reggie Bush with the second overall pick in the NFL draft. However, perhaps the most important addition to the team was the signing of free agent quarterback Drew Brees.
Brees enjoyed success as a San Diego Charger early in his career. Despite Brees making two Pro Bowls, the Chargers drafted quarterback Philip Rivers and this eventually led to Brees' departure from San Diego. Late in the 2005 season Brees suffered a shoulder injury on which he had arthroscopic surgery. Following the season Brees became a free agent and despite his success with the Chargers other teams were reluctant to sign him due to his surgery. The Saints decided to take a chance on Brees and it ended up being the right move.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans. Although football seemed quite unimportant compared to the devastation caused by Katrina, the New Orleans Saints felt that they could make a difference. Brees along with the rest of the Saints believed they could uplift the city by providing them with a successful football team to support. They came through with a great year in which they finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and won their division. The Saints marched all the way to the NFC championship game where they lost to the Chicago Bears. Support for the Saints was higher at this point than ever before. Not only were the people of New Orleans cheering for the Saints, but so was the rest of the country. Following Katrina, the people of New Orleans and the Saints were connected by a special bond that meant a lot more than football.
In 2006, the Saints put together the pieces that would enable them to win a Super Bowl. Following a disappointing 3-13 season in 2005, the Saints made an overhaul of their entire roster. They started by hiring Sean Payton as their head coach and followed by drafting Reggie Bush with the second overall pick in the NFL draft. However, perhaps the most important addition to the team was the signing of free agent quarterback Drew Brees.
Brees enjoyed success as a San Diego Charger early in his career. Despite Brees making two Pro Bowls, the Chargers drafted quarterback Philip Rivers and this eventually led to Brees' departure from San Diego. Late in the 2005 season Brees suffered a shoulder injury on which he had arthroscopic surgery. Following the season Brees became a free agent and despite his success with the Chargers other teams were reluctant to sign him due to his surgery. The Saints decided to take a chance on Brees and it ended up being the right move.
In 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans. Although football seemed quite unimportant compared to the devastation caused by Katrina, the New Orleans Saints felt that they could make a difference. Brees along with the rest of the Saints believed they could uplift the city by providing them with a successful football team to support. They came through with a great year in which they finished the regular season with a 10-6 record and won their division. The Saints marched all the way to the NFC championship game where they lost to the Chicago Bears. Support for the Saints was higher at this point than ever before. Not only were the people of New Orleans cheering for the Saints, but so was the rest of the country. Following Katrina, the people of New Orleans and the Saints were connected by a special bond that meant a lot more than football.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Ian
posted 2/18/10 @ 12:57 AM EST
"Despite Brees making two Pro Bowls, the Chargers drafted quarterback Philip Rivers and this eventually led to Brees' departure from San Diego."
Brees made one Pro Bowl AFTER Philip Rivers was drafted. (Continued…)
Will
posted 2/18/10 @ 4:06 PM EST
Not only did Brees not make any Pro Bowls before Rivers was drafted, but it's really a bit of a stretch to say Brees enjoyed much "success in San Diego". (Continued…)
Michael
posted 2/20/10 @ 10:13 PM EST
Yes, I made a mistake in reference to the Pro Bowls Brees made as a Charger. He did make only one Pro Bowl as a Charger and it came prior to Rivers being drafted. (Continued…)
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