By Larry Holder
Special to Look through his Madison Ave. smile and his St. Charles Ave. charm. Swim through the Super Bowl XLIV confetti and the “Awwww!” moments with his son Baylen on the podium waiting to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

None of that may have happened if the San Diego Chargers had banked on and believed Drew Brees was their guy.

It still eats at him, to an extent, that the Chargers doubted him even though he led the charge to the New Orleans Saints first world championship ever in February.

Drew Brees Super Bowl moment with his son became instant classic material. (Getty Images) “Its not necessarily holding a grudge. … Do I feel like maybe things were a little unfair at times or that I got a little bit of a raw deal? I dont know,” Brees said in an interview with CBSSports.com leading up to Fridays preseason game against San Diego. “You can probably say that in some instances. But Ive also learned from this game that man, this is a business.

“Theres decisions that are made. Sometimes theres guys that like you and believe in you. Sometimes there not, for whatever reason. Sometimes things just seem to be out of your control. You do your best and you hope things work out. But sometimes, youre calling is to go somewhere else. Life takes you in a different direction.”

The doubting began when then-Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer benched Brees in 2003 in favor of then-42-year-old Doug Flutie. The hesitation from the front office couldnt have been more obvious when the Chargers drafted Eli Manning and traded for Philip Rivers. Two slaps in the face in about an hours time during the 2004 draft.

Physics then gave the Chargers a way out. No way was any quarterbacks arm going to come away unscathed the way then-Broncos defensive lineman Gerard Warren landed on Brees right shoulder in the final week of the 2005 season.

That was the beginning of the Rivers era.

“San Diegos drafted well,” Brees said. “Theyve drafted some talented players, and hes one of them. Obviously, they drafted him as the quarterback of the future. I had a different idea about that and held on as long as I could. The injury kind of took me out of that running.”

A completely torn labrum. A partially torn rotator cuff. Months of rehab. Maybe hed play again. Unlikely hed ever play at the level that sent him to a Pro Bowl one season earlier in 2004.

And in retrospect, it was the best thing to ever happen in his professional life.

“Its funny because when I hurt my shoulder, that was pretty devastating and I was thinking that this was the worst thing to ever happen to me,” Brees said. “Now I look back on it and I can say its the best thing. Did I want it to come in the form of a major injury? No. But now you just say theres no other way I would have ended up in New Orleans if it wasnt for that. Look what the opportunity Ive been given here. Not only that, but raising a family in New Orleans, its been a blessing.”

Judging by the numbers, the Chargers wouldve gotten it right with either player.

Brees has completed 66.8 percent of his passes during the last four seasons for 18,298 yards with 122 touchdowns and 57 interceptions. The Saints went 38-26 through those four years and won two division crowns.

Rivers completed 63.2 percent of his passes during his four seasons as the starter in San Diego for 14,803 yards with 106 touchdowns and 44 interceptions. The Chargers went 46-18 through the time period and they are riding a wave of four consecutive AFC West division titles.

Brees admits he and Rivers arent on everyday speaking terms despite spending the majority of two seasons standing side by side at practice and in the film room. Brees said he may randomly text message Rivers or chat with the Chargers quarterback if they happen to be at the same event.

Its not to knock Rivers by any means, though.

“Ive got a lot of respect for Philip,” Brees said. “I think hes a very good player. Hes had some good years there thus far. I know theyre kind of right on the cusp and have been now on the last few years now. I think its fun to play a good team at anytime, but especially hey, its your old team and its a guy that you know and respect and is a good quarterback on the other side of the ball. Thats all good.”

Yet we all know what happened five years later for Brees after reconstructive shoulder surgery. In 2005, Brees was still in a sling. In 2010, Brees slung three touchdown passes to propel the Saints past the Colts in Sun Life Stadium.

Bumped aside for Philip Rivers, Brees exit from San Diego was messy. (Getty Images) After sweeping Brees out of Cali, the Chargers now find themselves trying to live up their decision. Brees is the Super Bowl MVP. The Saints are the current world champions. The Chargers are still waiting to reach the Super Bowl with Rivers at the helm, and time is seemingly running out down in San Diego.

Brees is the ultimate competitor. During the summer when fullback Heath Evans held a charity softball tournament, Brees was convinced hed win the home run derby leading up to the game. It wasnt even close. He ripped bombs left and right batting left-handed. Midway through his at-bat, he jumped to the other side of the batters box and did the same thing right-handed. He did it without a smile and was locked and loaded.

And this was just softball against his Saints teammates.

So imagine the satisfaction Brees must have felt that after being discarded by the Chargers that he helped guide a team known more for being down in the dumps and nearly washed away by Hurricane Katrina to a historic world championship before his old team ever made it to the Super Bowl without him.

Brees broke out the humble card when asked if he had added joy in one-upping his old team in winning the Super Bowl before it had: “I always believed that Id win a Super Bowl, be a champion. Hopefully weve got a few more of those left in us too. I believe we can. I guess theres a little satisfaction. But thats not what drives me though.”

Brees said everything that went down in San Diego seems like another life ago, and yet it still sits in his mind, especially when facing the Chargers whether its preseason or the regular season.

“All that stuff that happened in San Diego seems like so long ago,” Brees said. “Listen, I had five great years there and I learned a lot. I learned a lot about myself as a player and as a person. I felt like I grew and developed a lot in all those ways. There were a Marty Sc a lot of the mentors I met and stay in touch with outside of the building there in San Diego.

“So, I dont know. I guess we all have those times in our life where you go and you get your bumps and bruises. You take your licks and you just got to keep getting up. The whole idea is that adversity makes you stronger. You find a way to come back stronger from anything that you face. Im appreciative of my time there and I think its all worked out the way it was supposed to.”

The Chargers may beg to differ on the “way it was supposed to part” as Brees made it happen elsewhere, while Rivers hasnt made it happen yet.

Posted on August 27th, 2010 by admin
Filed under: NFL football news