A couple former Saints-@Chargers: @DrewBrees 🤝 Manti Te'o pic.twitter.com/JJI0ePwG06
Buy Saints Tickets— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 18, 2023
Drew Brees and Manti Te’o have more in common than you may expect — they were both drafted in the second round by the Chargers (who were, at the time, based out of San Diego) before moving on to play their best football with the New Orleans Saints. The pair of playmakers met up again Friday at the Chargers practice facility, with the Saints in town for a joint practice session.
Brees, drafted No. 32 overall in 2001, eventually teamed up with Te’o in New Orleans; Te’o was selected at No. 38 out of Notre Dame, having excelled in college 12 years later and two hours away from Brees’ alma mater at Purdue.
It’s funny where football can take people. Brees was born and raised in Texas, played college football in Lafayette, Indiana, was drafted to turn pro in San Diego, and finished his career in New Orleans. Te’o hails from Hawaii but put himself on the map in South Bend, Indiana. He later followed Brees to San Diego and New Orleans, ultimately finishing his career with the Chicago Bears. Having returned home to Hawaii, he’s supporting relief efforts in the wake of devastating wildfires.
Both former Saints appear to have had a great time catching up with old teammates, sharing stories and enjoying the sunny Southern California weather. It’s a cool scene overall.
