Alabama fans should thank Drew Brees for their dynasty
Alabama football is at the top of the college football pecking order, but things would be a lot different if not for Drew Brees and his right shoulder.
Step into my time machine and let’s travel back to the spring of 2006 when Nick Saban was entering his second season as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Saban left LSU after losing the Capital One Bowl to Iowa on a Hail Mary to take on the challenge of the NFL. Saban took over a Dolphins team that went 4-12 the year prior under Dave Wannstedt and after some initial rough patches, won the last six games of the year to finish 9-7 and just outside of the playoffs.
The offseason was a critical one for the Dolphins who had playoff aspirations but needed a stabilizing force at quarterback. The San Diego Chargers, who had just drafted Philip Rivers, released Drew Brees after he suffered a potentially career-threatening shoulder injury.
Miami was certainly interested in Brees who went 20-11 and threw for 51 touchdowns in his last two years with the Chargers as he was just beginning to showcase the talent he displayed at Purdue. Saban needed a field general like Brees and that’s why he brought him into Miami for a physical and to discuss parameters of a contract with his agent Tom Condon.
Dolphins physicians recommended against signing Brees over concerns about his surgically repaired shoulder. Further, the contract they needed to sign him to was hung up over money to be paid out in the first year. But the main sticking point was his health, which led to the Dolphins passing on Brees and trading a second round pick for Daunte Culpepper, who was coming off knee surgery.
Brees went on to sign with the New Orleans Saints who needed a new face of the franchise after Hurricane Katrina, and he quickly became that, delivered a Super Bowl in 2009 and is going to retire as the NFL’s all-time leader in completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns. He’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Meanwhile, Culpepper only played in four games before he was benched in favor of Joey Harrington as the Dolphins went 6-10, the only losing season in Saban’s coaching career.
After issuing denials in his weekly press conference, including a flat-out refusal that he would not be the Alabama head coach, Saban accepted the Alabama job on Jan. 3, 2007, to replace Mike Shula as the Crimson Tide head coach.
Saban saw his get out of jail free card when the Dolphins didn’t land Brees and were stuck in quarterback hell. When Alabama calls, you have to answer, and Saban did. But if the Dolphins were satisfied with Brees recovery and signed him, the Dolphins are playoff contenders in 2006 and Saban likely doesn’t leave Miami after only two seasons after acquiring a franchise quarterback.
Instead, Saban parachuted out of Miami and into Alabama where he quickly led Alabama to the SEC Championship Game in Year 2 and a Sugar Bowl to finish No. 6 in the country. The next year, Saban won the first of five national championships at Alabama.
Saban has six total national championships and with the Tide undefeated and ranked No. 1, he could be passing Bear Bryant and move into sole possession of first place with seven national titles as a head coach. He’s the greatest college football coach of all time, but if not for Brees’ shoulder, Alabama isn’t experiencing this dynasty they’ve enjoyed for the last decade and will enjoy as long as Saban remains in Tuscaloosa.
It’s possible, Saban with Brees in Miami provide a legit threat to his former mentor, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on an annual basis. Instead of the Pats winning Super Bowl after Super Bowl, the Dolphins stop that dynasty and create one of their own. All while Alabama remains stuck in purgatory with the likes of Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione and Mike Shula’s of the world patrolling the sidelines.
Now isn’t that one of the greatest what-if questions in football history?
Back to reality, Alabama is the king of college football with Saban, the Dolphins still haven’t won a playoff game since 2000 and Brees is the greatest Saint of all time.