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Brees, Drew, and Chris Fabry. Coming Back Stronger. Tyndale House Publishers, 2010.

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"One of the most difficult things I experienced was the divorce of my mom and dad." (Page 5) I can relate to this because I have dealt with this too and it was real hard

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He sat on the bench, thinking that's the only place he'll be at

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He sat on the bench, thinking that's the only place he'll be at

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"The injury had stirred me up inside, and I was filled with questions: Do I have a purpose? Is there a reason I'm on this Earth? Do I have a destiny, or is everything by chance?" (Page 13)

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Tried to believe in God's plan for him after a pastor talked to him about it

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Tried to believe in God's plan for him after a pastor talked to him about it

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"But for me the real difference wasn’t in my body but in my head and my heart. I had a new sense of confidence because I knew I had worked hard to fight through the injury. I’d pushed myself past limits I’d previously thought I could not go beyond. I was physically, mentally, and spiritually tougher because of what I had endured in order to get to that point." (Page 16)

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"We won the next two games and went 16–0, winning the first 5A state championship in the history of our school. That season was a turning point for me. A year earlier, before I’d torn my ACL, I was just a high school kid whose world revolved around whatever sport was in season and who I would ask to the prom. At the time, I’d thought my ACL tear was the worst-case scenario. Now I realized that injury was really the best thing that could have happened to me. I was stronger. I was more focused. And best of all, I was starting to understand more about God and how he wanted to lead me." (Page 16) Him making the best out of something and not bringing himself down and being negative is one of the best things he could have done. He also started realizing the path he was going to. From a bench warmer to 16-0 with multiple offers.

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He got recruited from multiple schools after a perfect 16-0 season winning their schools first championship, he decides to go to Purdue University

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He got recruited from multiple schools after a perfect 16-0 season winning their schools first championship, he decides to go to Purdue University

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Drew Brees was named the starting quarter-back at Purdue University during his sophomore year.

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Drew Brees was named the starting quarter-back at Purdue University during his sophomore year.

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Won championships with Purdue during his sophomore, junior, and senior years after being named starting quarterback

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Won championships with Purdue during his sophomore, junior, and senior years after being named starting quarterback

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"With all that was on my mind with academics and football, I didn’t let myself dream of getting married and settling down yet. I was too focused on everything else. But I’ll tell you the truth: the minute I saw Brittany, I told myself ’m going to marry that woman. Of course, she didn’t feel that way about me, because I made a fool of myself the first time I met her." (pg 30) Brees then continues to talk about the hilarious (in our view) pick up lines he used on her while drunk at a party to which he is still humiliated by.

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He really wanted to be drafted in the first round, but instead was the first pick of the second round to the Chargers

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He really wanted to be drafted in the first round, but instead was the first pick of the second round to the Chargers

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"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." (pg 43)

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World Trade Center

On September 11, 2001, at 8:45 a.m. on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.

The impact left a gaping, burning hole near the 80th floor of the 110-story skyscraper, instantly killing hundreds of people and trapping hundreds more in higher floors.

As the evacuation of the tower and its twin got underway, television cameras broadcasted live images of what initially appeared to be a freak accident. Then, 18 minutes after the first plane hit, a second Boeing 767-United Airlines Flight 175-appeared out of the sky, turned sharply toward the World Trade Center and sliced into the south tower near the 60th floor.

The collision caused a massive explosion that showered burning debris over surrounding buildings and onto the streets below. It immediately became clear that America was under attack.

Osama bin Laden

The hijackers were Islamic terrorists from Saudi Arabia and several other Arab nations. Reportedly financed by the al Qaeda terrorist organization of Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden, they were allegedly acting in retaliation for America's support of Israel, its involvement in the Persian Gulf War and its continued military presence in the Middle East.

Some of the terrorists had lived in the United States for more than a year and had taken flying lessons at American commercial flight schools. Others had slipped into the country in the months before September 11 and acted as the "muscle" in the operation.

Where Did the 9/11 Planes Take Off From?

The 19 terrorists smuggled box-cutters and knives through security at three East Coast airports-Logan International Airport in Boston, Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. and Newark International Airport in New Jersey-and boarded four early-morning flights bound for California, chosen because the planes were loaded with fuel for the long transcontinental journey. Soon after takeoff, the terrorists commandeered the four planes and took the controls, transforming ordinary passenger jets into guided missiles.

Pentagon Attack

As millions watched the events unfolding in New York, American Airlines Flight 77 circled over downtown Washington, D.C., before crashing into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters at 9:45 a.m.

Jet fuel from the Boeing 757 caused a devastating inferno that led to the structural collapse of a portion of the giant concrete building, which is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.

All told, 125 military personnel and civilians were killed in the Pentagon, along with all 64 people aboard the airliner.

Twin Towers Collapse

Less than 15 minutes after the terrorists struck the nerve center of the U.S. military, the horror in New York took a catastrophic turn when the south tower of the World Trade Center collapsed in a massive cloud of dust and smoke.

The structural steel of the skyscraper, built to withstand winds in excess of 200 miles per hour and a large conventional fire, could not withstand the tremendous heat generated by the burning jet fuel.

At 10:30 a.m., the north building of the twin towers collapsed. Only 18 people in the World Trade Center towers at the time of the collapse survived. Most were with a group of FDNY firefighters in the North Tower's Stairwell B, which remained intact. One woman survived after the stairs she was rushing down disintegrated around her. Almost 10,000 others were treated for injuries, many severe.

Flight 93

Meanwhile, a fourth California-bound plane- United Flight 93-was hijacked about 40 minutes after leaving Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey. Because the plane had been delayed in taking off, passengers on board learned of events in New York and Washington via cell phone and Airfone calls to the ground.

Knowing that the aircraft was not returning to an airport as the hijackers claimed, a group of passengers and flight attendants planned an insurrection.

One of the passengers, Thomas Burnett, Jr., told his wife over the phone that "I know we're all going to die. There's three of us who are going to do something about it. I love you, honey." Another passenger-Todd Beamer-was heard saying "Are you guys ready? Let's roll" over an open line.

Sandy Bradshaw, a flight attendant, called her husband and explained that she had slipped into a galley and was filling pitchers with boiling water. Her last words to him were "Everyone's running to first class. I've got to go. Bye."

The passengers fought the four hijackers and are suspected to have attacked the cockpit with a fire extinguisher. The plane then flipped over and sped toward the ground at upwards of 500 miles per hour, crashing in a rural field near Shanksville in western Pennsylvania at 10:10 a.m.

All 44 people aboard were killed. Its intended target is not known, but theories include the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland or one of several nuclear power plants along the eastern seaboard.

How Many People Died in the 9/11 Attacks?

A total of 2,996 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks, including the 19 terrorist hijackers aboard the four airplanes. Citizens of 78 countries died in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

At the World Trade Center, 2,763 died after the two planes slammed into the twin towers. That figure includes 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York City police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers who were struggling to complete an evacuation of the buildings and save the office workers trapped on higher floors.

At the Pentagon, 189 people were killed, including 64 on American Airlines Flight 77, the airliner that struck the building. On Flight 93, 44 people died when the plane crash-landed in Pennsylvania.

America Responds to the Attacks

At 7 p.m., President George W. Bush, who was in Florida at the time of the attacks and had spent the day being shuttled around the country because of security concerns, returned to the White House.

At 9 p.m., he delivered a televised address from the Oval Office, declaring, "Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve."

In a reference to the eventual U.S. military response he declared, "We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them."

Operation Enduring Freedom, the American-led international effort to oust the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and destroy Osama bin Laden's terrorist network based there, began on October 7. Within two months, U.S. forces had effectively removed the Taliban from operational power, but the war continued, as U.S. and coalition forces attempted to defeat a Taliban insurgency campaign based in neighboring Pakistan.

Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks, remained at large until May 2, 2011, when he was finally tracked down and killed by U.S. forces at a hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan. In June 2011, then-President Barack Obama announced the beginning of large-scale troop withdrawals from Afghanistan; it took until August 2021 for all U.S. forces to withdraw.

Department of Homeland Security Is Created

In the wake of security fears raised by 9/11 and the mailing of letters containing anthrax that killed two and infected 17, The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created the Department of Homeland Security. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush on November 25, 2002. Today, the Department of Homeland Security is a cabinet responsible for preventing terror attacks, border security, immigrations and customs and disaster relief and prevention.

The act was followed two days later by the formation of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. The bipartisan " 9/11 Commission," as it came to be known, was charged with investigating the events that lead up to September 11th. The 9/11 Commission Report was released on July 22, 2004. It named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the accused mastermind behind 9/11, "the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks."

Mohammed led propaganda operations for al Qaeda from 1999-2001. He was captured on March 1, 2003 by the Central Intelligence Agency and Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and interrogated before being imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay detention camp with four other accused terrorists charged with 9/11-related war crimes. The use of torture, including waterboarding, during Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's interrogation has received international attention. In August 2019, a U.S. military court judge in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba set a trial date for Mohammed and the other four men charged with plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks to begin in 2021; it was later postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Economic Impact of 9/11

The 9/11 attacks had an immediate negative effect on the U.S. economy. Many Wall Street institutions, including the New York Stock Exchange, were evacuated during the attacks. On the first day of trading after the attacks, the market fell 7.1 percent, or 684 points. New York City's economy alone lost 143,000 jobs a month and $2.8 billion wages in the first three months. The heaviest losses were in finance and air transportation, which accounted for 60 percent of lost jobs. The estimated cost of the World Trade Center damage is $60 billion. The cost to clean the debris at Ground Zero was $750 million.

Victim Compensation Fund

Thousands of first responders and people working and living in lower Manhattan near Ground Zero were exposed to toxic fumes and particles emanating from the towers as they burned and fell. By 2018, 10,000 people were diagnosed with 9/11-related cancer.

From 2001 to 2004, over $7 billion dollars in compensation was given to families of the 9/11 victims and the 2,680 people injured in the attacks. Funding was renewed on January 2, 2011, when President Barack Obama signed The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act into law. Named for James Zadroga, a New York City Police officer who died of respiratory disease he contracted after rescuing people from the rubble at Ground Zero, the law continued health monitoring and compensation for 9/11 first responders and survivors.

In 2015, funding for the treatment of 9/11-related illness was renewed for five more years at a total of $7.4 billion. The Victim Compensation Fund was set to stop accepting claims in December 2020.

On July 29, 2019, then-President Trump signed a law authorizing support for the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund through 2092. Previously, administrators had cut benefits by up to 70 percent as the $7.4 billion fund depleted. Vocal lobbyists for the fund included Jon Stewart, 9/11 first responder John Feal and retired New York Police Department detective and 9/11 responder Luis Alvarez, who died of cancer 18 days after testifying before Congress.

Anniversary and Memorial

On December 18, 2001, Congress approved naming September 11 "Patriot Day" to commemorate the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. In 2009, Congress named September 11 a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

The first memorials to September 11 came in the immediate wake of the attacks, with candlelight vigils and flower tributes at U.S. embassies around the world. In Great Britain, Queen Elizabeth sang the American national anthem during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Rio de Janeiro put up billboards showing the city's Christ the Redeemer statue embracing the New York City skyline.

For the first anniversary of the attacks in New York City in 2002, two bright columns of light were shot up into the sky from where the Twin Towers once stood. The "Tribute in Light" then became an annual installation run by the Municipal Art Society of New York. On clear nights, the beams are visible from over 60 miles away.

A World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition was held to select an appropriate permanent memorial to the victims of 9/11. The winning design by Michael Arad, "Reflecting Absence," now sits outside the museum in an eight-acre park. It consists of two reflecting pools with waterfalls rushing down where the Twin Towers once rose into the sky.

The names of all 2,983 victims are engraved on the 152 bronze panels surrounding the pools, arranged by where individuals were on the day of the attacks, so coworkers and people on the same flight are memorialized together. The site was opened to the public on September 11, 2011, to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of 9/11. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum followed, opening on the original World Trade Center site in May 2014. The Freedom Tower, also on the original World Trade Center site, opened in November 2014.

Sources

"Study Confirms 9/11 Impact on New York City Economy." The New York Times
"September 11: nearly 10,000 people affected by 'cesspool of cancer.'" The Guardian.
"Congress passes 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund extension championed by Jon Stewart." CNN.com
The Encyclopedia of 9/11. New York Magazine.
FAQ About 9/11. 9/11 Memorial.
September 11th Terror Attacks Fast Facts. CNN.
9/11 Death Statistics. StatisticBrain.com.

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September 11 Attacks: Facts, Background & Impact

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On September 11, 2001, 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against targets in the United States. Two of the planes were flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, a third plane hit the Pentagon just outside Washington, D.C., and the fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.

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Was working to be a backup quarterback on the chargers

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Was working to be a backup quarterback on the chargers

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"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." (pg 44)

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After starting for a couple seasons, in 2004 the chargers were going to acquire a new quarterback, which meant Brees was going to have to fight for his spot again 

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After starting for a couple seasons, in 2004 the chargers were going to acquire a new quarterback, which meant Brees was going to have to fight for his spot again 

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In 2004, the mars rover landed (also the year I was born)

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In 2004, the mars rover landed (also the year I was born)

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Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, land on opposite sides of Mars and begin exploring the planet. Since their landing, the rovers have sent more than 100,000 high-resolution, full-color images of the planet's surface.

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He worked really hard during the times he was spectating the new quarterback. He analyzed everything he did and started to see a lot of different things during this time and referred to multiple people for help then gained his spot back in 2005 season

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He worked really hard during the times he was spectating the new quarterback. He analyzed everything he did and started to see a lot of different things during this time and referred to multiple people for help then gained his spot back in 2005 season

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The team had a horrible season, and Brees tore his throwing shoulder, taking off 8-10 months of his life

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The team had a horrible season, and Brees tore his throwing shoulder, taking off 8-10 months of his life

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"We needed someone to make a play, and that someone needed to be me. As I reared back to throw just inside our own end zone, I felt a presence at my back side. It was Denver free safety John Lynch, and he laid a hit on me that knocked the ball out of my hand and onto the ground, spinning to a stop at the one yard line. It was a live ball, but in my eyes it was my ball, and I had to get it back. With no regard for my own safety or future, I committed the cardinal sin for a quarterback. I jumped into the pile for a loose ball. It wasn’t a rational decision—it was the only way I knew how to play the game. Unfortunately I didn’t get the ball, and even worse, after the dust had settled, my right shoulder was out of socket. My arm stuck out to the side as if I were resting it on a fence post." (pg 74)

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His contact with the Chargers was coming to an end, and all they wanted to give him was a back up spot, so he decided to be a free agent. Getting similar offers from other teams, Brees was worried. Then finally, he got 2 offers for starting spots: Miami, and New Orleans. He was planning on going to Miami because of the weather (New Orleans just suffered Katrina), the Super Bowl past they had, and great coaches. But as soon as his wife and him went to New Orleans to check it out, they clicked with the staff so well.

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His contact with the Chargers was coming to an end, and all they wanted to give him was a back up spot, so he decided to be a free agent. Getting similar offers from other teams, Brees was worried. Then finally, he got 2 offers for starting spots: Miami, and New Orleans. He was planning on going to Miami because of the weather (New Orleans just suffered Katrina), the Super Bowl past they had, and great coaches. But as soon as his wife and him went to New Orleans to check it out, they clicked with the staff so well.

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Here's a look at some Hurricane Katrina statistics.

August 29, 2005

Katrina makes landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana as a Category 3 storm with winds near 127 mph.
- Severe flooding damage to cities along the Gulf Coast, from New Orleans to Biloxi, Mississippi.
- Numerous failures of levees around New Orleans led to catastrophic flooding in the city.
- About 25,000 storm evacuees were sheltered at the Louisiana Superdome, a sports arena. Wind and water damage to the roof created unsafe conditions, leading authorities to conduct emergency evacuations of the Superdome.
- The total damage from Katrina is estimated to be $125 billion (or $176.3 billion in 2021 dollars), according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Fatalities (directly or indirectly)

NOAA report
- Alabama: 2
- Florida: 14
- Georgia: 2
- Louisiana: 1,577
- Mississippi: 238
- Total: 1,833

In an analysis of 971 fatalities in Louisiana and 15 additional deaths of storm evacuees, 40% of deaths were caused by drowning. 25% were caused by injury and trauma and 11% were caused by heart conditions.

Nearly half the fatalities in Louisiana were people over the age of 74.

Private Insurance Payments

Insurance Information Institute Report

Insurance companies have paid an estimated $41.1 billion on 1.7 million different claims for damage to vehicles, homes, and businesses in six states. 63% of the losses occurred in Louisiana and 34% occurred in Mississippi.

By 2007, 99% of the 1.2 million personal property claims had been settled by insurers.

National Flood Insurance Payments

The National Flood Insurance Program paid out $16.3 billionin claims.

June 2006 - The Government Accountability Office releases a report that concludes at least $1 billion in disaster relief payments made by FEMA were improper and potentially fraudulent.

Impact on the Gulf Coast

More than one million people in the Gulf region were displaced by the storm. At their peak, hurricane relief shelters housed 273,000 people. Later, approximately 114,000 households were housed in FEMA trailers.

During the first ten years after the storm, FEMA provided more than $15 billion to the Gulf states for public works projects, including the repair and rebuilding of roads, schools and buildings. The agency also provided $6.7 billion in recovery aid to more than one million people and households.

The majority of all federal aid, approximately $75 billion of $120.5 billion, funded emergency relief operations.

Impact on New Orleans

The population of New Orleans fell from 484,674 in April 2000 to 230,172 in July 2006, a decrease of over 50%. By 2019, the estimated population had increased to 390,144, according to the Census.

70% of New Orleans' occupied housing, 134,000 units were damaged in the storm.

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Hurricane Katrina Statistics Fast Facts | CNN

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Here's a look at some Hurricane Katrina statistics. Katrina makes landfall near Grand Isle, Louisiana as a Category 3 storm with winds near 127 mph.- Severe flooding damage to cities along the Gulf Coast, from New Orleans to Biloxi, Mississippi. - Numerous failures of levees around New Orleans led to catastrophic flooding in the city.

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In 2006 he made the playoffs with the Saints

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In 2006 he made the playoffs with the Saints

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"It’s amazing the difference a year makes in the NFL. In 2005 with the Chargers, we could have been 10–6 and not made the playoffs at all. In 2006 a 10–6 record gave us the number two seed and a first-round bye." (pg 175)

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Brees had his first child in January 2009

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Brees had his first child in January 2009

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In the 2009-2010 season, Brees was very determined to make an impact in the league and found some inspiration

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In the 2009-2010 season, Brees was very determined to make an impact in the league and found some inspiration

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"I had found a book with vignettes about average people who had done extraordinary things simply because they’d focused on finishing well. The book was Finish Strong by Dan Green, and I bought a copy for every member of the team. I also gave everyone a wristband that said, “Finish Strong.” I read some favorite quotes that struck me about the power of seeing something through to completion. I was passionate about this, and I wanted the other guys to catch the same vision for the season ahead." (pg. 248)

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"Brittany was fighting her way through the mayhem and heading toward me with Baylen. From up onstage, I leaned down and gave her a kiss. Then she handed Baylen to me. That was when it really hit. All those rough patches on the journey—the injury, the rehab, the hurricane, the new team—and now we were really here, Super Bowl champions. I stood there with my little boy, and I was overwhelmed. I told Baylen how much I loved him and how much he meant to me and what an inspiration he was to me. I thought of my mom, who I believed was smiling down from heaven, and all my family and friends who were there watching. 'We did it, little boy. We did it,' I said." (pg 291-292)

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Super Bowl XLIV: Saints vs. Colts highlights