By David Elfin
For NFLPLAYERS.COM

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Drew Brees is a special quarterback. The New Orleans Saints' standout is terrific short -- his 70.6 completion percentage this season set an NFL record -- and long -- he's one of just two quarterbacks to pass for 4,000 yards four years running. He fell just 15 yards shy of the NFL record of 5,084 in 2008.

"He's competitive, he's smart, he's very accurate," raved Indianapolis defensive coordinator Larry Coyer, whose Colts will try to contain Brees in Super Bowl XLIV Sunday at Sun Life Stadium. "He studies the game. He knows what's happening on the field. He controls what's happening on the field. He can make you pay."

Colts middle linebacker Gary Brackett said Brees is even more dangerous because he trusts all his targets. Seven Saints had from 35-70 catches this season. No other passing attack had such balance, but then no offense was as productive as New Orleans, which led the league in yards and points.

"He's a rare athlete," New Orleans coach Sean Payton said of the 6-foot, 209-pound Brees. "When you look at his agility, his release, his accuracy and the fact that he has hands as big as mitts, he’s got a skill set that is perfect for the position. He’s been a winner everywhere he’s been. He won in high school [28-0-1 as a starter at Westlake in Austin, TX]. He won at Purdue [which he led to its first Rose Bowl appearance in 33 years as a senior in 2000]. He won with the [San Diego] Chargers [their AFC West title in 2004 was their first in a decade]. He's driven ... he has great work ethic and he’s very competitive. Some guys just have that.”

Brees, the fourth-most accurate and the eighth-rated passer in NFL history, is also the unquestioned leader of the Saints, whom he has guided to their first two NFC Championship Games and now to the first Super Bowl in their 42 seasons, the first 38 of which came before his 2006 signing as a free agent from the Chargers.

"Drew is one of the best in the business," said Saints backup quarterback Mark Brunell, a 17-year veteran. "He's at the top of his game right now. He's great to work with. The way he prepares, the way he handles himself on and off the field, he is a true professional. If anyone deserves to win this football game, it's him because he's put countless hours of time into this season. It's not about the Pro Bowls or the statistics. It's really about winning. ... Drew understands that with celebrity comes responsibility. He cares not only about our football team, but about the community."

Brees shared the Walter Payton award as the NFL's Man of the Year for the 2006 season and has only added to that legacy of community service since. Brees and his wife Brittany have become immersed in New Orleans, which was devastated by Hurricane Katrina less than a year before their arrival. They have raised nearly $2 million for the community through their Brees Dream Foundation and renovated and moved into a home in the Uptown neighborhood.

"It’s a great source of strength for us and our team, just knowing that we are playing for much more than another ‘W’ or a Super Bowl for our organization," Brees said. "It’s a Super Bowl for our city and our fans and everything they’ve been through the last few years. There is no organization or city that deserves a champion more than New Orleans. My wife and I felt like a part of the community quickly because of the way we were embraced by the city. I’ve had more people come up to me on the street who tell me, ‘Thank you for being part of our city. Thank you for being a part of our community.’ ”

And beyond the Saints and New Orleans, Brees serves on the Executive Committee of the NFLPA. Amidst all his other responsibilities, Brees wrote an op-ed on the NFL v. American Needle case in The Washington Post before last month's Supreme Court arguments and continually educates his teammates on the collective bargaining negotiations and other issues.

"You get into this league and it takes you a little while to ... understand what the Players Association is all about, the services that they provide for you ... and what so many men before you have fought for you to have," Brees said. "It wasn't until my fourth or fifth year that I became an alternate rep and then a rep and now I'm on the Executive Committee. I take that position very seriously, especially when you look at what's looming here in the very near future, trying to extend another collective bargaining agreement [and avoid a lockout by the owners]."

-- David Elfin has covered the NFL for two decades. He is the former President of the Pro Football Writers of America and serves on the selection committee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.