Drew Brees was always a first-ballot Hall of Famer, so it took a little subterfuge to make sure the knock on his door still came as a surprise.
That all came together in a birthday dinner fakeout, which Brees detailed on WWL Radio this week. Rylen Brees had told her father she wanted to take him out to dinner, but when time came to leave at 5, his sons Baylen, Bowen and Callen, were lollygagging upstairs. Brees' dad frustration was reaching critical mass when he heard the knock on the door, which turned out to be former NFL great Dan Fouts surrounded by a host of cameras to welcome him as a new NFL Hall of Famer.
"It’s kind of been a step-by-step process and honestly it’s really surreal," Brees told WWL's Bobby Hebert, "even as we sit here and talk about it now. ... Right away, it’s just like, oh my gosh, you know, this is really happening and, you know, he says, hey, welcome into the NFL Hall of Fame, I look at my wife and kids. I mean, what an incredible moment that was and then, you know, they announced it at honors on Thursday, that was kind of another step towards reality."
Hear the full, exclusive interview with Drew Brees in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
That moment became official last Thursday with Brees announced last as part of the five-man Hall of Fame class for 2026 that also included RB Roger Craig, WR Larry Fitzgerald, LB Luke Kuechly and K Adam Vinatieri.
Brees was also on the field in the first half of Super Bowl XL with the rest of his fellow inductees. The next, and possibly most stressful part of the process: Coming up with a 10-minute acceptance speech that adequately sums up the journey and thanks everyone. Brees said he's been jotting down ideas every time he thinks of one, but there's a long way to go.
“Honestly that is the hardest thing," Brees said. "It’s 20 years worth of reflection and all the people that have been involved in this journey and trying to do it justice in 10 minutes, that is absolutely the biggest challenge.”
The 2026 Hall of Fame induction will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio.
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