Former Boilermaker QB also able to recruit due to NCAA waiver
The Purdue Boilermakers badly needed something to be excited about going into the Citrus Bowl. The LSU Tigers are the benefactors of a stripped-down team, which is ironic because LSU was that team in last year’s Texas Bowl against Kansas State when they had fewer than 40 scholarship players on the roster.
That excitement for the Boilermakers comes in the form of Drew Brees, the most notable Purdue alum in NFL history. As assistant coach, he won’t be able to work with QB Aidan O’Connell, who is among several players to opt out of the game, but Brees is going to help with the transition to new head coach Ryan Walters after Jeff Brohm finally returned to Louisville where he thrived as a player.
Brees is also allowed to recruit during this period, so we'll see if that provides any lift on the QB depth chart for Purdue moving forward.
Drew Brees coaching Purdue
Brees played 20 years in the NFL after getting drafted in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft out of Purdue. The Dallas, Texas native had a 90/45 TD/INT ratio in 45 games at Purdue and still leads the program in all-time passing yards with 11,792. He remains the program leader in passing touchdowns as well and holds the single-season record with 39 during his 1998 season.