"I obviously take a lot of pride in what I do on the football field, because that has the ability to influence a lot of people. That puts smiles on people's faces. That gives people a pep in their step on Monday morning when they go back to work"
About this Quote
The intent is twofold. First, it’s a defense of effort. Elite football is violent, repetitive labor, and “pride” becomes the ethical justification for the grind. Second, it’s a reframing of entertainment as service. He’s not talking about stats or legacy; he’s talking about Monday. That’s the key cultural detail: sports matter most not on Sunday night highlight reels, but in the leftover mood they deposit into ordinary life.
The subtext is civic. Brees spent his prime in New Orleans, where the Saints’ resurgence after Hurricane Katrina became tangled up with recovery and identity. When he says “influence,” he’s gesturing at that larger bargain between a team and its people: we’ll carry your hopes for three hours; you’ll carry us the rest of the week. “Smiles” and “pep” sound corny, but that’s the point. He’s leaning into sincerity as a kind of leadership style, making joy itself the metric of impact.
It’s also a careful humility play. He doesn’t claim to solve anyone’s problems; he claims to lighten them. In an era that asks public figures to be everything, Brees stakes out a narrower, surprisingly resonant promise: I can’t fix your Monday, but I can change how it feels.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sports |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Brees, Drew. (2026, January 17). I obviously take a lot of pride in what I do on the football field, because that has the ability to influence a lot of people. That puts smiles on people's faces. That gives people a pep in their step on Monday morning when they go back to work. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-obviously-take-a-lot-of-pride-in-what-i-do-on-53977/
Chicago Style
Brees, Drew. "I obviously take a lot of pride in what I do on the football field, because that has the ability to influence a lot of people. That puts smiles on people's faces. That gives people a pep in their step on Monday morning when they go back to work." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-obviously-take-a-lot-of-pride-in-what-i-do-on-53977/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I obviously take a lot of pride in what I do on the football field, because that has the ability to influence a lot of people. That puts smiles on people's faces. That gives people a pep in their step on Monday morning when they go back to work." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-obviously-take-a-lot-of-pride-in-what-i-do-on-53977/. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.




