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Drew Brees 'energized' after returning from family funeral

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Drew Brees was absent from the Saints’ facilities Monday and Tuesday but for understandable reasons. The veteran quarterback went back to his hometown in Texas to attend the funeral of his grandfather, Ray Akins.

Akins, 92, died last week in New Baden, Texas, which is in the College Station area. He was a World War II veteran and a longtime high school coach in Texas, winning 12 straight division titles at Gregory-Portland High School and posting a 293-102-15 record.

Brees called his grandfather his hero, and said that after spending time with his family for two days and listening to the great stories of Akins, he came back to New Orleans on Wednesday more energized than before.

“You know, it was obviously very sad … but I really came back energized from the last two days, just being with my family and with friends and with guys that played for my grandfather, and just listening to the stories again,” Brees told reporters.

“It just re-emphasized to me what a great man he was and what a wise man he was and just a true American hero. And not only that, but he’s my hero. I learned so much from him, and again, it re-emphasizes all the things that are important in life and the values and morals.”

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Teams don’t normally hold practices Mondays or Tuesdays, as the former is used for meetings, rehab and weights while the latter is normally an off day. But Brees still took some time during those days to prepare for the Saints’ first playoff game in four years.

“I brought what I needed to bring to prepare,” he said. “In between, I had what I needed to get ready.”

Brees’ relationship with his grandfather seems to contrast with the relationship he had with his mother, who was Akins’ daughter. The quarterback once described his relationship with his mom as “nonexistent,” saying it dissolved when he refused to hire her as his agent out of college.

Mina Brees was an attorney in Austin, Texas, and Drew at one point asked his mother to stop using his picture in TV commercials touting her candidacy for a state appellate judgeship.

She committed suicide in 2009, just three days after her business records were subpoenaed by the Texas attorney general’s office because of a questionable pitch to prominent restaurants.

Exactly six months after her death, her son would lead the Saints to the first Super Bowl in franchise history.

Drew Brees will again try to lead New Orleans back to the big game, but this time the team isn’t as reliant on his arm as it’s been in the past. Brees posted both the fewest passing yards and fewest passing touchdowns of his 12 seasons in New Orleans.

The quantity of passes may have decreased but the quality is still excellent. Brees not only led the NFL in completion percentage for the fourth time in his career, but his 72.0 number is the highest single-season mark in league history.

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The Saints have leaned heavily on their ground game and the tandem of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. The pair combined for over 3,000 yards from scrimmage and 26 total touchdowns on the way to becoming the first running backs from the same team to make the Pro Bowl since 1975.

New Orleans has the type of offensive balance that other teams dream of. It is the only team in the league to rank in the top five in both rushing and passing.

The last time the Saints had this type of balance, they won the Super Bowl. But even with his 39th birthday coming next week, Brees says he isn’t feeling any greater sense of urgency this time around.

“I just approach every game the same way,” he said. “I prepare like every game could be my last or it’s a playoff game or I’ve got something to prove and I’ve got an edge. So it’s not like, ‘OK, the playoffs are here, so it’s time to ramp it up, things are a little more important.’ It’s always important. So for me the preparation is no different.”

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Ross Kelly has been a sportswriter since 2009.
Ross Kelly has been a sportswriter since 2009 and previously worked for ESPN, CBS and STATS Inc. A native of Louisiana, Ross now resides in Houston.
Location
Houston, Texas
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