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Book: Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity by Drew Brees
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Authors: Drew Brees
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“Congratulations—welcome to South Florida!” But the call never came. I checked the ringer to make sure the phone was working. Sure enough, that was not meant to be either.
I was frustrated and a little hurt—not so much by the fact that I wasn’t a first-round pick, but more so because I thought I had been lied to. The fact of the matter is, you can’t believe a thing most teams tell you on draft day. I didn’t realize at the time how much goes on behind the scenes. It looks like a pretty exact science, but it’s not. Emotions are high and last-minute information is getting thrown around right up until the draft decisions are made. As the first round neared an end, it became obvious that I would not be drafted by any of the remaining teams. They didn’t need a quarterback. I then saw a familiar team pop up on the draft board.
San Diego had the first pick in the second round. Little did I know they had actually tried to trade up to get me late in the first round, but no one would trade with them. They were sure that I wouldn’t be available to them in the second round. But there I was, still watching, still waiting.
Finally the phone rang. It was John Butler, general manager for the Chargers. I was going to San Diego! They chose me with the first pick of the second round, the thirty-second pick overall. Of course I would have liked to have been drafted higher, but I was happy about going to San Diego. I loved John and the coaching staff he had put together. His résumé spoke for itself. He had been with the Buffalo Bills for many years, including four consecutive trips to the Super Bowl in the early nineties. He had also brought in Doug Flutie a few weeks earlier as the starting quarterback. In my mind—and a lot of people would agree with me—Doug Flutie was a legend. I was five years old when he threw that legendary Hail Mary for Boston College to beat Miami in 1984. There was so much I could learn from this guy, and with no pressure to immediately come in as the starter, I could relax and get indoctrinated gradually. Plus, I would have the opportunity to play with some of the greatest to ever play the game—LaDainian Tomlinson, Junior Seau, and Rodney Harrison.
I hopped on a plane to San Diego to meet with head coach Mike Riley and answer questions from the media. As I tried to wrap my brain around my new reality, I realized something: I could get stuck in disappointment because I hadn’t gone in the first round like I’d envisioned, or I could be thankful I’d landed in the right place. Sometimes it’s not how you get to your destination that’s most important. The key is ending up in the right place—on the right team, in the right situation, with the right opportunity. I felt that God had put me in San Diego for a reason. A new adventure was about to begin.
Coming Back Stronger
Second-String
As soon as training camp was underway, one thing was clear: I was the backup. In fact, I was competing for a spot on the team, as far as I was concerned. Dave Dickenson was making a run for the backup quarterback role, and I had my work cut out for me. Doug Flutie, the former Heisman Trophy winner and free agent who had been acquired by the Chargers, would be the starting quarterback. I played in only one game all year—when Flutie got a concussion—and even then, it was only for about half of the game. But I was watching Doug and taking notes.
Doug Flutie was a mentor to me; he did so much for my career and my development as a young player. I loved the way he played the game—with a fire and passion to win like I’d never seen before. I’m sure that’s why he played professional football for so long—over twenty years in three different leagues. We were friends then, and we are to this day. He really cared about me as a person and as a player—I don’t think he saw me as a threat. When I became a Charger, I wanted to help Doug and the rest of the team. My goal was to work my tail off and play
I was frustrated and a little hurt—not so much by the fact that I wasn’t a first-round pick, but more so because I thought I had been lied to. The fact of the matter is, you can’t believe a thing most teams tell you on draft day. I didn’t realize at the time how much goes on behind the scenes. It looks like a pretty exact science, but it’s not. Emotions are high and last-minute information is getting thrown around right up until the draft decisions are made. As the first round neared an end, it became obvious that I would not be drafted by any of the remaining teams. They didn’t need a quarterback. I then saw a familiar team pop up on the draft board.
San Diego had the first pick in the second round. Little did I know they had actually tried to trade up to get me late in the first round, but no one would trade with them. They were sure that I wouldn’t be available to them in the second round. But there I was, still watching, still waiting.
Finally the phone rang. It was John Butler, general manager for the Chargers. I was going to San Diego! They chose me with the first pick of the second round, the thirty-second pick overall. Of course I would have liked to have been drafted higher, but I was happy about going to San Diego. I loved John and the coaching staff he had put together. His résumé spoke for itself. He had been with the Buffalo Bills for many years, including four consecutive trips to the Super Bowl in the early nineties. He had also brought in Doug Flutie a few weeks earlier as the starting quarterback. In my mind—and a lot of people would agree with me—Doug Flutie was a legend. I was five years old when he threw that legendary Hail Mary for Boston College to beat Miami in 1984. There was so much I could learn from this guy, and with no pressure to immediately come in as the starter, I could relax and get indoctrinated gradually. Plus, I would have the opportunity to play with some of the greatest to ever play the game—LaDainian Tomlinson, Junior Seau, and Rodney Harrison.
I hopped on a plane to San Diego to meet with head coach Mike Riley and answer questions from the media. As I tried to wrap my brain around my new reality, I realized something: I could get stuck in disappointment because I hadn’t gone in the first round like I’d envisioned, or I could be thankful I’d landed in the right place. Sometimes it’s not how you get to your destination that’s most important. The key is ending up in the right place—on the right team, in the right situation, with the right opportunity. I felt that God had put me in San Diego for a reason. A new adventure was about to begin.
Coming Back Stronger
Second-String
As soon as training camp was underway, one thing was clear: I was the backup. In fact, I was competing for a spot on the team, as far as I was concerned. Dave Dickenson was making a run for the backup quarterback role, and I had my work cut out for me. Doug Flutie, the former Heisman Trophy winner and free agent who had been acquired by the Chargers, would be the starting quarterback. I played in only one game all year—when Flutie got a concussion—and even then, it was only for about half of the game. But I was watching Doug and taking notes.
Doug Flutie was a mentor to me; he did so much for my career and my development as a young player. I loved the way he played the game—with a fire and passion to win like I’d never seen before. I’m sure that’s why he played professional football for so long—over twenty years in three different leagues. We were friends then, and we are to this day. He really cared about me as a person and as a player—I don’t think he saw me as a threat. When I became a Charger, I wanted to help Doug and the rest of the team. My goal was to work my tail off and play
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