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Drew Brees has a new initiative that he hopes “will save football”
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Drew Brees was the reason many kids throughout the country started playing football.
The former Purdue star is a lock for Canton when he decides to hang up his cleats, but he has plans to do something even bigger in his post-NFL life.
This fall, he’s starting a new co-ed flag football league in Louisiana that will be called Football ‘N’ America league. The league will start in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Covington, Louisiana with hopes of moving the league to other states across the country in the future.
What kind of impact does Brees feel it can have on the sport?
“I think that this has the opportunity to really save the game of football, honestly,” Brees said via ESPN.com.
Brees and his marketing agent Chris Stuart concocted the idea because two of his kids started playing flag football at ages 6 and 7. The idea of them playing in full pads doesn’t appeal to Brees, who didn’t play tackle football himself until he was in high school.
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“I would not let my kids play tackle football right now, because I don’t think that’s necessary, and I don’t think it’s as fun at this level, and I just think there’s too much risk associated with putting pads on right now at this age,” Brees said via ESPN.com. “So how can I still allow them to enjoy the game and learn about the game and develop a passion for the game and enjoy everything it has to offer? Well, flag football.
“I think that flag football is the perfect alternative to the parents who have concerns about concussions and the injuries around football. Because you’re still able to enjoy the game of football, but in a very fun, safe and yet competitive environment. And you can still learn all the same life lessons and values from a game of flag as you would tackle.”
With the increased attention to concussions in youth football, it’s not surprising to hear high-profile people speak out against the dangers of the sport. Barack Obama said that if he had sons, he wouldn’t let them play pro football.
Maybe Obama will get his daughters involved in Brees’ new league.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.