Drew Brees wife, Brittany Brees, is doing her best to cheer on her husband in his attempt to add another Super Bowl to his collection. Prior to Drew playing in his first football game as a 40-year-old, Brittany managed to surprise her husband with a 40th birthday party after the Saints playoff win over the Eagles.
“I threw it as a surprise and wanted it to be on the weekend so it wouldn’t distract the guys’ preparation for the playoff games,” Brittany told The Advocate.
The couple started dating during their college days at Purdue. When Brittany is not planning surprise parties, she stays busy with the couple’s four children: Rylen, Bowen, Baylen and Callen. Brittany recently appeared on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown with two of their children, Baylen and Bowen.
Brittany spoke about the importance of their entire family giving back to the community given how much Drew means to New Orleans.
“I think at one point Baylen came home and said someone was asking him at school, and then he was the first one where someone asked for his autograph because of the Super Bowl,” Brittany said per The Advocate. “It actually upset me because the thing is they’re not famous…That’s really where you set the standard. You have this platform and you have this amazing ability to make this world a better place, and that’s what you’re called to do.”
Learn more about Drew’s wife and children.
1. Brittany Threw a Suprise 40th Birthday Party After a 2019 Saints Playoff Victory
Brittany was able to pull off a surprise party in honor of Drew’s 40th birthday just hours after the Saints defeated the Eagles in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The party featured cocktails with childhood pictures of Drew, hats with the number 40 on it and a star-studded guest list.
Drew spoke about his surprise in an Instagram post thanking Brittany.
“So my beautiful wife pulls off the best surprise birthday party ever last night after the game…so many special people there to celebrate. Appreciate you all!” Drew posted on Instagram.
The party included a number of celebrities including Saints coach Sean Payton and musician Trombone Shorty. Drew shares a birthday with his son Baylen who apparently celebrated as well based on a later Instagram post.
2. The Couple Funded a New Orleans Playground For Children of All Abilities That Is Accessible for Kids With Mobility & Sensory Challenges
Drew and Brittany are no strangers to community service, and are very involved in giving back to New Orleans. Their latest project looks out for children who may not be able to access some of the other playgrounds in the area. WGNO ABC-New Orleans describes the Audubon Park playground the Brees funded.
The unique design offers a welcoming environment for children with mobility challenges, including playground equipment accessible for people who use wheelchairs. In addition, the design presents a variety of features that provide sensory engagement and promote the development of motor skills.
The playground also creates opportunities for children who don’t face these kinds of challenges to connect with peers of different backgrounds and abilities—an experience that experts say can foster empathy along with social and emotional skills that can last a lifetime.
There are benefits for adults, too. For parents and grandparents who face mobility challenges, the new playground is built to encourage cross-generational play, a key to building strong family ties.
Drew spoke to Saints.com about the idea behind the playground.
“My wife and I funded it personally, and it was significant,” Drew explained to Saints.com. “But we wanted to do it right and we wanted to really give something to New Orleans that we felt like it didn’t have already. That was a fully inclusive playground. Again, I think that’s the most important element to this that this is a playground for children of all abilities. We built it very specifically with wheelchair ramps, and certain things in mind to make sure that no child is excluded here. That there’s something here for every child.”
3. Hurricane Katrina Played a Role in Drew Signing With the Saints in 2006
It is natural now to think of Drew as one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but it was not always that way. The Chargers released the quarterback in 2006, and the Saints gave Drew an offer. It was just six months after Hurricane Katrina had devastated New Orleans, but the couple believed they could play a role in helping rebuild the city.
“We chose New Orleans because we felt like we could do something special down here,” Drew explained to CNN. “We leaned on each other in so many cases. As people are trying to rebuild their homes, rebuild their lives, they’re still coming to games to cheer on the Saints because it just gives them so much energy and enthusiasm … just this feeling that we’re all in this together.”
The family got to work right away as their foundation partnered with Operation Kids to help rebuild youth facilities in the area including academic centers, parks, playgrounds and after-school programs. While Drew gave both his time and money to help New Orleans, he admitted to ABC’s Robin Roberts (via The Times-Picayune) that it was the city that saved him.
There were so many emotional moments along the way, just because we knew this was about an overall recovery; an overall resurrection of this city, of this community, of a spirit. I needed somebody to believe in me just as much as New Orleans needed someone to believe in them. In so many ways, New Orleans not only saved my football career, but for me as a person.
4. Drew Met Brittany When They Were Attending Purdue, But the QB Needed a Little Liquid Courage to Approach Her
Things did not go so smoothly when Drew first met Brittany at a college party. Drew was a sophomore at Purdue, and detailed their first exchange to ESPN the Magazine.
“I made a real fool of myself when I first met her,” Brees told ESPN the Magazine. “It was when I was a sophomore. It was my 20th birthday and I’d had about 17 shots and put my foot in my mouth. It was a typical football player cheesy line — we’ll leave it at that. It took me six months to get the courage to talk to her again. I finagled my way to get invited to a party that I knew she’d be at.”
Months later the couple finally went on their first date, but they were also joined by some of Drew’s Purdue teammates. Brittany recounted their first date to ESPN the Magazine.
“So he asked me out, and all my girlfriends wanted to come with,” Brittany told ESPN the Magazine. “You know, because he was That Guy Who Had Made Such a Fool of Himself. So he brought some of his football friends and we went to the movies. And his friends started throwing Gummy Bears at the screen!”
5. The Couple Has 4 Children & Their Youngest Child Was Born in 2014
In addition to giving back to the community, Drew and Brittany have their hands full with four children of their own. Their youngest, Rylen, was born in 2014, and is the couple’s only daughter. Baylen, Bowen and Callen are the couple’s three sons.
After the birth of Rylen, Drew joked with The Times-Picayune, that he might need to get a vasectomy to keep the family at four.
I think I’m done. I might have to follow Jim Henderson’s recommendation from the [New Orleans Touchdown Club] luncheon…He was saying the ‘V’ word was next for me, vasectomy. We’ve got some football games to win first. And then as I’ve been told by those who have experienced it, do it Saturday before the final round of The Masters so I’ve got an excuse to sit around and watch it.
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Brittany Brees, Drew’s Wife: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know