New Orleans fans were devastated Sunday evening. For the second year in a row, their beloved Saints they lost a heart-breaking game due to unlikely circumstances.
Last year, it came in the form of the Minneapolis Miracle, when Stefon Diggs caught a tough pass and turned upfield, running down the sideline for a last-second go-ahead touchdown, preventing the Saints from making the NFC Championship game. This year it was in the form of an overtime loss via the powerful leg of Los Angeles Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein, who kicked two field goals, one to send the game to overtime, the other to win it and prevent the Saints from making the Super Bowl.
But all anyone could talk about after the game was the egregious pass interference penalty against the Rams, the penalty that never was, since it didn’t get called despite being glaringly obvious on the field. So obvious that the referees acknowledged it and apologized for it after the game. Some are calling it the worst blown call in the history of the NFL, and it will be talked about for years.
Not everyone was dwelling on it though. Drew Brees, future Hall of Famer, holder of countless NFL passing records and a Super Bowl ring, may have been heartbroken by having his shot at another ring yanked from him, but one photo taken after the game shows that despite the loss, he has his priorities in check.
In a photo taken by ESPN’s Diana Russini, Brees can be seen on the field after the game, tying one his son’s shoes on the field, in the midst of playing catch with his kids and letting them run around the site of one of the worst losses of his career, immediately after it happened! The loss is made all the more devastating for coming near the end of the seemingly ageless quarterback’s career. But with young kids to take care of, fatherhood is still in its early stages for Brees, and he clearly knows there are things far more important than football.
Drew Brees perhaps misses his last shot at a Super Bowl but his job of Dad never stops as he ties his son’s shoe. His boys are running around playing football together here at the Superdome #Saints pic.twitter.com/U99Azag2Fe
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) January 21, 2019
Chris Davis, who encourages people in their faith, families, and life on his blog, posted in praise of the quarterback on Facebook.
In Chris’s post, he singles Brees out for being a role model for people, particularly men, facing adversity.
“There’s a lot of talk about masculinity lately.. In my opinion, how you respond to adversity is what defines the kind of man you are. When things don’t go your way, do you still put your kids and spouse first? When you’ve had a bad day, are you able to still show them their value? When you are struggling, are you still able to help them succeed? When you hit a rough patch in life, are you able to use it as a teaching moment for your children?”
Davis’s post has over 170,000 likes and more than 100,000 shares. Clearly, he’s not alone in being impressed by Drew Brees for his talent as a quarterback and his dedication as a father.
This isn’t the first time we’ve covered Brees and his sons, not long ago our hearts were warmed by his inspiration huddle after breaking the NFL’s yardage record.
