"Why am I wasting my time playing football": NFL legend Drew Brees shares how he almost quit playing football in high school

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees said he nearly quit football in high school after struggling to get consistent playing time.

On "Going Long with Chase Daniel," on Christmas, former teammates Brees and Chase Daniel discussed various aspects of the legendary quarterback's long career.

One of the most memorable parts of the chat touched on Brees' time at Austin Westlake High School in Texas.

“I almost quit football in my sophomore year, going into my JV season," Brees said. "I thought I wasn’t going to get a chance to play. I was sitting behind a guy named Jonny Rodgers, whose brother was Jay Rodgers. He was the starting quarterback. Jay would go on to play at Indiana University and is actually a D-line coach in the NFL.”

Jonny was from a strong football family whose father was an assistant coach at the University of Texas. Jonny had another brother, Jeff, who played center and is currently a safety coach in the NFL.

Brees continued:

“He was going to be the starting quarterback on varsity, and I was never gonna play. I was never going to see the field. So, like, why am I wasting my time playing football? I’m gonna go concentrate on basketball, but certainly baseball’s my ticket.”

How Drew Brees overcame his urge to quit football

Fortunately for Drew Brees and the game of football, he was persuaded by his mom to rethink his decision. He did just that and he got his opportunity when Jonny tore his ACL during a scrimmage ahead of their varsity year. Brees was handed the starting quarterback role, and he made the most of it.

Brees was the starting quarterback for Westlake for two seasons, leading the team to a 28-0-1 record and a state championship in his senior season. He was named the Texas High School 5A Most Valuable Offensive Player as a senior. He finished high school with 5,461 passing yards and 50 touchdowns.

He went on to play for the Purdue Boilermakers from 1997 to 2000 before getting drafted in 2001 by the San Diego Chargers.