Drew Brees Pickleball Journey: Former National Football League star Drew Brees has become an unexpected face of the sport of pickleball. It all started in 2018 when he added a pickleball court to his backyard. But after retiring from football in 2020, Drew Brees found himself diving deeper into the sport. A playful social media post in 2022, where he joked about going pro in pickleball, turned into real opportunities.
Drew Brees shared how he first discovered the sport as a kid at a summer camp. “I remember playing pickleball or a version of pickleball at like this camp when I was a kid… I really enjoyed because I kind of had this tennis background,” said Brees.
Building a Backyard Court
In 2018, while building a backyard sport court, Drew Brees decided to include pickleball lines. He wanted to relive old memories and hoped it would become a fun family activity.
“I want to line it with a pickleball court… kind of get my kids into it because I could never get them into tennis,” Brees explained. When COVID-19 hit in 2020, many people began playing sports at home, and pickleball became more popular. That brought Brees back to the game.
Joke Turns Into Real Interest
In 2022, Drew Brees made a post on Twitter and Instagram. He wrote, “Hey, I know there’s a lot of speculation… I may become a professional pickleball player. I don’t know. I’ll let you know.” It was meant as a joke, but the media took it seriously.
“That like sent the media into a frenzy… literally they had like three entire segments devoted to me making a comeback in football,” Brees recalled.
Soon after, he received real offers from the pickleball world. One call came from Zubin Mehta, managing partner of the Mad Drops Pickleball Club. “Hey, there’s this league MLP… we’d love to have you as part of our group,” Mehta told Brees.
Growing in the Sport
That offer introduced Drew Brees to Major League Pickleball and opened doors. “That just kind of sent me down… this whole new world of professional pickleball,” said Brees. He has since taken part in various pickleball events and clubs, including The Pickler.
Even though he wasn’t trying to become a pro, the sport grew into something meaningful. “For a while I feel like everything about Drew Brees I saw was like pickleball related,” Brees said.
Connecting With Big Names
Drew Brees also talked about playing with well-known athletes. “Next thing you know, I’m like playing pickleball with John McEnroe, playing with Andre Agassi this year,” he said.
He enjoyed how the sport helped him meet new people. “The connection that you now have with so many people across a number of different industries… it’s been really interesting how that’s opened a lot of doors,” Brees shared.
The Bigger Impact
Drew Brees didn’t expect to become linked with pickleball. But a fun post led to real offers, and the sport became a new chapter in his life. Pickleball helped him stay active, enjoy time with family, and meet other athletes.
His story shows how a simple interest can grow into much more. What began in a summer camp turned into a major role in promoting a growing sport.
News in Brief: Drew Brees Pickleball Journey
Drew Brees, former NFL quarterback, accidentally became a major name in pickleball after a joke post led to real opportunities. Starting with backyard games in 2018, he joined Major League Pickleball and connected with big athletes. Pickleball has opened new doors and become a fun part of his post-football life.
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