At Purdue, everyone has a Drew Brees story — here’s mine

Every Purdue fan has a Drew Brees story.

Just ask.

Me? Yep. And it’s a pretty good one.

It was back in 2000. I was a college football writer with The Sporting News in St. Louis. And I had just had my first child, a son named Cal, in September. I had convinced my editor to let me do a story on spending a week with Brees as he prepared to play a game.

At the time, Brees was the ultimate BMOC, one of college football’s biggest stars who a year earlier had been a Heisman Trophy finalist. My pitch: Let’s take people where they can’t go, all-access with Brees.

The 2000 season began with the promise of a No. 15 AP ranking, but things threatened to go sideways with close losses at Notre Dame (23-21) and Penn State (22-20) that knocked Purdue from the polls.

But Brees would have none of it. He was Drew Brees, remember?

He proceeded to lead Purdue to three wins in a row and a 6-2 record. Hope floated: This still could be a special season.

That set up a huge showdown with No. 12 Ohio State on Oct. 28. National TV zoomed into West Lafayette for a close-up of Brees, with Musco Lighting set to illuminate Ross-Ade for ABC and Brent Musburger.

This is where I come in, as I rode shotgun with Brees to take readers along for the ride.

• Brees had pulled up his big black SUV onto the sidewalk outside Mackey Arena. Why? Because he was Drew Brees, that’s why. That’s where I met No. 15 in the office of Purdue PR flack Jim Vruggink, who I worked for as a student back in the 1980s. We made a plan for the week and were off …

• Brees let me watch film with him late at night in the IAF. Play, reverse, play, pause, reverse, play. On and on it went in a darkened room for Brees, with QB coach Greg Olson at his elbow at the end of a conference table.

• Up early the next day to walk to class. There were stares, cup-handed whispers and finger-pointing.

“Look, there’s Drew Brees.”

• One afternoon, Drew and I roared down Littleton Street in his SUV to the Sigma Chi house for lunch where he was Brother Brees. He fit right in with his ballcap, khaki shorts and T-shirt. You’d never know this was the best QB in America slurping chicken noodle soup and noshing a grilled cheese as brothers tried to prank him by setting cans of beer (Natty Light?) in front of him.

Before he left, a few brothers had him sign footballs. Hey, why not? It’s Drew Brees. He’s a big deal. This may be worth something some day.

Everyone wanted a piece of Brees.

• One afternoon in the basement of Cary Quad, Purdue held a weekly press conference that was all things Brees. Cafeteria workers peered through doors to get a glimpse. It was a chance for local media positioned around a big wooden table to pose questions to Brees. And national media could call in, too. On this day, a writer from the Brees’ hometown, the Austin American-Statesman, was on hand.

• On one of our campus drives, I had Brees swing by my parents house near campus. Mom, dad and wifey were surprised to see Brees walk in the old brick house on Forest Hill Drive as the Purdue BMOC met my BMOC: Cal.

• The week got even more exciting on Saturday with Brees saving his best salvo for last by throwing a late game-winning TD pass to Seth Morales to spark a 31-27 win in what became known as the “Holy, Toledo!” game. Purdue fans will tell you to this day that it was the greatest game ever in Ross-Ade Stadium.

Ask your dad about it.

Joe Tiller’s fourth team wasn’t done making memories that magical Saturday afternoon, punctuating the season with a Big Ten title and Rose Bowl appearance. A season for the ages from a player for the ages.

And it was because of that too short, broken kneed, afterthought, no-star recruit from Texas who just heard his named called to pro football’s Valhalla.

You can’t make up a story like this, which is why it’s so delicious.

Brees is an underdog hero for an underdog school that embraces him tightly.

And it’s gonna make for another great story for Purdue fans when Brees gives his enshrinement speech in Canton.

I can’t wait to ask someone about it.