Cumberlands to host Super Bowl champion NFL quarterback Brees
The University of the Cumberlands is pleased to announce that Super Bowl Champion and MVP Drew Brees will be the keynote speaker at the University’s annual Excellence in Leadership Series event, sponsored by Forcht Group of Kentucky.
The event will take place on April 5 at 7 p.m. on the Cumberlands campus. Community members are welcome. Tickets are free and will be requested at the entrance. Community tickets can be reserved at ucumberlands.edu/drewbrees from March 8.
“Drew Brees has proven himself as a leader on and off the court,” said university president Dr. Larry Cockrum. “His accomplishments as an athlete and the character he has shown through his commitment to community service are inspiring. We are pleased to offer our students and the community the opportunity to hear what Brees has learned through his experiences. I hope we can implement these leadership lessons in our own daily lives.
Brees is the 2009 Super Bowl winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. He retired from the NFL after completing the 2020 season. In Brees’ five years with the San Diego Chargers and 15 years with the New Orleans Saints, he made 13 Pro Bowls while being named 2004 Returning Player of the Year, 2006 All-Pro Team, 2006 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, 2008 and 2011 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP.
As much as Brees is proud of his performance on the field, he’s even prouder of his community service efforts. Brees and his wife, Brittany, established the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003 and have since contributed more than $33,000,000 to help improve the quality of life for cancer patients and to provide care, education and opportunity to children and families in need. In July 2020, the couple donated $5 million through the foundation as part of a partnership with Ochsner Health System to help build health care centers in Louisiana. Brees has also participated in five USO trips visiting Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Turkey, Djibouti, Dubai, Okinawa and Guantanamo Bay.
The Cumberlands Annual Lecture Series is made possible by an endowment from local business owners Dr. Terry and Dr. Marion Forcht. Previous Excellence in Leadership Series speakers include Laila Ali, Terry Bradshaw, Shaquille O’Neal and others.
As planning for this event continues, the University will closely monitor and follow COVID-19 recommendations from federal, state, and local authorities. All guidelines in place for the event will be clearly communicated to attendees. All guidelines in place for this event will be posted at ucumberlands.edu/drewbrees.
