Drew Brees passing out knowledge to Purdue during Citrus Bowl prep as assistant coach

Drew Brees is back home again at Purdue. And, it just feels right.

Attired in a gray “Boilermakers” shirt with a black Purdue Pete resting on his head, Brees was in his element on Monday as an interim assistant coach inside the Mollenkopf Center during bowl practice No. 4. His goal: Help the Boilermakers beat LSU in the Citrus Bowl on January 2 in Orlando.

And have a little fun along the way, too.

“(The players) deserve an incredible experience,” said Brees on Monday after practice, his first with the team. “And so I called up (Purdue AD) Mike Bobinski and the guys here and said, ‘If you need me, I’m here, I’m available.’

“I want to be a resource and love to work with these guys. So, they’ve given me that opportunity and I’m gonna take full advantage.”

And, just like that, Coach Brees was born during a time of coaching change in West Lafayette. It’s good to have a familiar face during this transition of coaches from Jeff Brohm to Ryan Walters.

“We actually started off the day today just talking about just some of the fundamentals of throwing the football and then some of the drill work that I utilized during my career and things that they can begin to kind of work into their repertoire,” said Brees.

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Brees got to town on Sunday and will be with the squad through Wednesday, when players will depart for home for the holidays. Brees also will return home before meeting back up with team in Orlando for the bowl week.

Naturally, Brees will work with the Purdue quarterbacks but also will impart his knowledge gained as a 20-year pro on the entire squad.

“At the end of the day, I want this experience to be for them, that they can try to extract all the things that they need out of me in order to put them in the best position to succeed,” said Brees. “So, whether that’s drill work, whether that’s experience, whether that’s just some of the daily habits, the daily structure that they can begin to kind of put in their own process.”

One of the players who will have the most interactions with Brees is Austin Burton, who will start the bowl game after No. 1 signal-caller Aidan O’Connell opted out.

“Just seeing him out here, in the meeting rooms, getting the chance to pick his brain and ask him different questions, see what he has to say about a certain read or certain play maybe I didn’t have insight on, it’s really an awesome situation to be in,” said Burton.

Brees has liked what he’s seen from Burton.

“I like his demeanor,” said Brees. “I think he’s got some natural leadership qualities just watching his interactions with the other QBs and his teammates and in the meeting. He’s got good size, good strength, seems to see it well. Gets the ball out on time. You know, was accurate as far as what I saw today. So, I’m anxious to work with him as this week goes on, and as we get into the bowl week preparation.”

Brees is part of a truncated Purdue staff. Four Boilermaker assistants already have left to work with Brohm at Louisville. And Brees also is working with a roster comprised by the opt outs of star players.

Wideout Charlie Jones and tight end Payne Durham have joined O’Connell as key offensive players who have chosen not to play vs. LSU. Top cornerback Cory Trice also has departed, and all signs point to safety/linebacker Jalen Graham opting out, too.

Brees relishes his bowl experiences at Purdue, capped by a run to the Rose Bowl as a senior in the 2000 season. But, he realizes times and circumstances have changed.

“I certainly recognize the challenges the guys have now with that decision, because we have seen some injuries over the years of guys that would have been high draft picks and all of a sudden they have a serious injury that affects them,” said Brees. “So, I get it.

“At the same time, I just know what an unbelievable experience that was for me as a player, for our team, for the university, for the fans. So, of course, you would love for every guy to play, to make it kind of a last hurrah. But, hey, we’re gonna coach the guys who are here.”

Could coaching become a full-time endeavor for Brees?

“My kids are at an age now where I certainly want to be around,” said Brees, who has four children. “I love being around. I don’t want to miss a thing with them. And so I think the coaching lifestyle doesn’t quite fit where I’m at in my life right now.”

Enjoy Brees while you can. But, he’ll return again. He loves giving back.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be around this team, in particular, especially the journey that they’ve had this year,” he said.

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