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 Do you play less now than when you were on the Chargers? Yeah. But that’s because I had a son (Baylen) 15 months ago. When you have kids, that puts a damper on the golf game. But that’s OK, too. I need for him to get old enough so we can go out and start playing together. You’re a pretty accurate passer. Are you a pretty accurate golfer? I like to think so. At least I’m courageous enough to attempt the shots that most people probably don’t, and for good reason. That’s where I need to get better as a golfer — know when to lay up and not take those chances, risk versus reward and that type of thing. As a competitor and somebody who thinks he can hit any shot, sometimes you want to hit that driver off the tee when you really should be hitting 3-wood or going for the green when you should be laying up. That’s the evolution of my golf game. How did you become involved as the host for the Cox Celebrity Championship? The tournament’s been around for 12 years now, and I’ve been in the NFL for nine of those years, including five in San Diego. I played in the tournament many times when it was known as the Stan Humphries Celebrity Classic. It’s built up a reputation as being one of the premier celebrity golf tournaments in Southern California. I have a great relationship with the tournament director, Dave Miller, and it was just one of those situations where they were looking for the right fit, that perfect person to step in and take the tournament over. And it was a great fit for me — the ability to raise money and contribute funds for Rady Children’s Hospital and charities in San Diego and also just to continue the reputation of that tournament being the premier celebrity golf tournament in Southern California and taking it to the next level. One of the charitable beneficiaries is your own Brees Dream Foundation. How did that organization begin? Our Foundation was established when my wife, Brittany, and I were back in San Diego in 2003. Our mission has always been to find a cure for cancer, and really to improve the quality of life for patients with cancer as well as provide care, education and opportunities for children. We were able to do a lot in the San Diego community while I was playing, certainly here in New Orleans with all of the rebuilding efforts, and then also back at Purdue University, where both my wife and I went to college. We continue to do a lot back there as well. All in all, we’ve either raised or committed almost $5 million through our Foundation and have had the opportunity to make a big impact. This was just yet another way that we could continue to raise much-needed funds for projects through our Foundation and in all of those communities. All of the funds raised at this tournament are going right back into the San Diego community. Have you lost someone close in your life to cancer? When I was in college, my wife’s aunt, who she was very close to, was diagnosed with lung cancer. She fought and fought and thought she had it beat, but it eventually spread throughout the rest of her body, and she passed away. It really was a tough situation, and knowing this is not uncommon, that was really the inspiration behind our Foundation. So many kids do not even have an opportunity at life, they have to fight their own life, they don’t really get to be kids. That’s why we really focused on that early on and continue to do as much as we can. What other charities are going to benefit? For the last couple of years, we’ve supported a foundation called Friends of Scott, which is named after a young boy named Scott Delgadillo, who passed away a number of years ago from cancer. His parents are keeping his legacy alive with this foundation, so they do a lot to help cancer patients and their families. One of the big projects they do is host a prom for kids that have gone through cancer and most of them have missed their own high school formals because of treatments. This is an opportunity for them to experience that, they’ve all been through some of the same struggles, and have overcome those, so this is their opportunity to be able to share that moment. We’re happy to sponsor that event. Sometimes the best treatment for a lot of these kids going through the tough ordeal of cancer treatment is just being able to put a smile on their face. Any other causes? We’re also helping Rady Children’s Hospital, I’m very thrilled that they’re once again involved in our event this year. Also, there’s the San Diego Armed Services YMCA. The military is very close to my heart. I actually just got back recently from my fifth USO Tour, so I’ve now been to 10 countries in the last few years. I had a chance to go to Turkey, Dubai and Djibouti. I spent a night on the Gulf of Oman on the U.S.S. Nassau one of those nights, two days prior to another U.S. military ship tracking down a Somali pirate ship. If you don’t think there’s stuff going on there, there is, and you’re right in the middle of it. What we forget, for much of the year and during a lot of holidays, is service people are away from their families. That’s where the Armed Services YMCA steps in and really does a great job for these families. |
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