25 former college football players destined to be future head coaches

14. Drew Brees, former quarterback Purdue

Drew Brees went from thinking his future was in baseball to becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the game. Drafted in the second round by the San Diego Chargers in 2001, Brees proved that height does not mean as much as it used to when it comes to playing quarterback.

Injuries played a significant part in Brees’ career. As a junior in high school, a knee injury caused many scouts to back away from him in baseball causing Brees to focus on football. Though not highly recruited, Brees played his college football at Purdue for Joe Tiller.

While in the NFL, Brees had a good career with San Diego. A shoulder injury practically ended his career in San Diego. After the Chargers drafted Phillip Rivers, Brees was initially set to go do Miami. A failed physical put him on a collision course to New Orleans where he would become a Super Bowl champion and legend.

It was Sean Payton’s offense, with similar traits of the offense Brees ran at Purdue, that made the Texas native one of the all-time greats. If there is anyone that knows how a system can transform a player into something special it is Brees.