The current starting quarterback for the New Orleans' Saints is Andrew Christopher "Drew" Brees. His championship journey, started with being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2001 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. During the scouting phase, NFL scouts questioned alot a
bout Brees' athletic ability: his arm-strength and height (6'0). His tenure with the San Diego Chargers went well. He was voted to the NFL Pro-Bowl during the 2004 and 2005 NFL Seasons. Unfortunately, during the final game of the 2005 regular season, Drew Brees injured his shoulder. The injury was a result of a fumble recovery attempt, in which the opposing defensive team piled onto Brees to try and recover the ball for themselves. Brees underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder on January 5, 2006. Subsequent reports also report of a torn rotator cuff. With alot of doubt concerning his athletic ability after the surgery, the San Diego Chargers offered him a contract that was suitable for a "backup" quarterback. Drew Brees' confidence in his ability to still perform at the highest level, allowed him to seek other contract offers from various NFL teams. There were two teams that showed interest; the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees likened the idea of playing for a team/city that is in the midst of rebuilding. (Hurricane Katrina) He himself was in a rebuilding phase at the time also. At the time of signing,"... I just felt that energy in New Orleans," Brees said Tuesday night. "From the very beginning there was a genuine feeling that they wanted me there. They believe I can come back from this shoulder injury and lead them to a championship. They were as confident as I am, and that meant a lot."
In his first year as a New Orleans Saint, Drew Brees electrified the Superdome! He brought the Saints back to the playoffs and after defeating the Philadelphia Eagle's in the 1st round of the 2006 playoffs, he brought the organization to their first conference championship game. Even though they lost the conference championship to the Chicago Bears, Drew Brees looked and enamored the quarterback position. There seemed to be no signs of lingering shoulder pain / effects. Even though the Saints' failed to make the playoffs in 2007 and 2008, Drew Brees put up league-leading numbers for the quarterback position. (Beating Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ben Rothlisberger in various passing categories.)
More information on Rotator Cuff tears: WebLink
Definition: A group of four tendons/muscles that surround the shoulder joint. When the rotator cuff is injured, it's the tendons of the rotator cuff that are injured.
Symptoms:
- Most common symptom is PAIN. (Pain that is located ontop of the shoulder / arm)
- Weakness of the shoulder. Weakness causes difficulty lifting the arm up overhead or difficulty with activities such as reaching, getting dressed, or carrying objects
Surgical / Repair methods: Most rotator cuff injuries do NOT require surgery to repair. Depending on the severity, most doctors will prescribe anti-inflammatory medicine and/or cortisone shots. Alongside the medication, physical rehabilitation should be exercised also.
If you are one of the few unfortunate patients that have to undergo surgery, here are the options:
- Open Surgical Cuff Repair: (WebLink)
- Mini-Open Rotator Cuff Repair: (WebLink)
- All-arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: (WebLink)
- Shoulder replacement surgery: (WebLink)
Table that displays more in depth information on medical procedure and recovery time:
| Year: | Procedure: | Recovery Time: |
|---|---|---|
| Present Day Procedure | In 2005, Drew Brees underwent minimally invasive surgery for his torn-up shoulder and returned to the gridiron in six months to lead the league in passing yards, and in 2009-2010 to a Super-Bowl! | Recovery time has been greatly reduced. Anywhere between 3 - 12 months |
| Vintage Medical Procedure | Total reconstruction, involving re-anchoring the labrum and stitching the rotator-cuff muscles back together | 12 months to Career-Ending |
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