New Orleans Saints quarterback Ian Book is 6-foot quarterback who thrives on accuracy.
If that sounds familiar, it's not a coincidence. Book says watching Drew Brees is a big part of what helped form the Saints rookie into the passer he is.
"Honestly that’s somebody that I looked up to and I want to play like him, so gotta be accurate. It’s more than just completing it, for me," Book said after Monday's practice. "You’ve gotta be hard on yourself."
The former Notre Dame quarterback who holds the Irish's program record for QB wins also pointed at his ability to extend plays as one of his strengths. He said he's trying to be a "sponge" in his first training camp as he works in with Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian.
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As Winston and Hill compete for the starting job, his competition is likely for a backup slot after the Saints selected him in the 4th round of the recent draft.
"I’m trying to just learn as much as I can," Book said. "It’s a great group of quarterbacks.”
But while he attempts to emulate a retired great in New Orleans, he's also hopeful to use Brees as a resource, as well. The pair exchanged text message before minicamp, in which Book congratulated the former Saints QB on switching places with him. Brees will call Notre Dame games on NBC this season.
The pair also got about 30 minutes to chat when Brees was in New Orleans earlier this month. But Book is confident there will be more talks to come.
“I know he’ll be around here, probably a lot," Book said. "So I’ve got a lot of questions for him."