Drew Brees Featured Speaker at TeamMates Gala
The TeamMates Mentoring Program is proud to announce that retired New Orleans Saints Super Bowl MVP quarterback, Drew Brees will be the Keynote Speaker at the TeamMates Gala. The annual event, made possible by the Nebraska Crossing Shopping Center – the Presenting Sponsor, is set for Friday, November 4th, 2022, at the Embassy Suites in La Vista, Nebraska.
Founded by Coach Tom and Nancy Osborne in 1991, TeamMates Mentoring has served more than 43,000 youth in a five-state region since its inception in 1991. Cynthia and Robert Milligan will serve as this year’s honorary chairs.
A 20-year veteran of the NFL, Brees played for the San Diego Chargers (2001-2005) and the New Orleans Saints (2006-2020) leading the Saints in the XLIV Super Bowl champions over the Indianapolis Colts in 2010. Extremely active in the community, the Brees Dream Foundation has contributed more than $50 million to numerous charitable causes worldwide.
Brees graduated from Purdue in 2001 as an All-American on the field, a Heisman finalist, and an Academic All-American in the classroom, leading the Boilermakers to last-minute upsets against top-ranked Ohio State and Michigan in route to the Boilermakers’ first Big Ten Championships in 2000. He won the Maxwell Award as the nation’s outstanding player and finished his career with two NCAA, 13 Big Ten and 19 Purdue career records.
Brees is second only to Tom Brady in NFL career passing yards. He was chosen in the second round of the NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. Brees also owns the NFL record for most consecutive games (54) with a TD pass – a record Johnny Unitas previously held for 52 years. He played in the NFL for 20 seasons and finished second in numerous NFL career records, including: passing completion percentage (67.7); touchdown passes (571); passing yards (80,358); pass completions (7,142); and pass attempts (10,551). Brees also led the NFL in passing yards and held the record seven times before retiring after the 2020 season and joining NBC’s Sunday Night Football team as an analyst.
Brees has persevered several injuries and circumstances during his career including 11 cracked ribs and a collapsed lung in 2020, and a dislocated right shoulder in 2004. He came back to earn the NFL Comeback Player-of-the-Year award in 2004. He was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year in 2006, first-team All-Pro in 2006 and selected to the Pro Bowl 13 times.
The Gala will also feature segments with the “Oracle of Omaha” Warren Buffett, Coach and Co-founder Tom Osborne, and TeamMates CEO DeMoine Adams.
The annual TeamMates Gala is the program’s main fundraiser and will again be Presented by Nebraska Crossing Shopping Center. TeamMates is proud to have all proceeds from the Gala go toward operating costs. All expenses and fees for the keynote speakers are paid by the Presenting Sponsor. Table Sponsorships will go on sale in July. For more information, please contact gala@teammates.org.
Drew’s TeamMate is his wife, Brittany. Together they have four children, sons Baylen, Bowen, and Callen, and daughter Rylen.