Saints' Drew Brees accepted Christ in high school on his 17th birthday

The New Orleans Saints are having a fantastic 2017 season.

At 9-3, they lead the NFC South and appear ready to make a deep postseason run. With a running game they haven’t seen in years, and a defense that has played sound, fundamental football, fans in New Orleans believe this could be the year their team gets back to the Super Bowl.

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The constant for this team, though, is future Hall of Famer Drew Brees. The Saints quarterback is in his 12th season with the club after playing five years in San Diego, and has his team on a roll.

While Brees’ stats aren’t what they have been in the past, that’s actually a good thing, as the team hasn’t needed to rely on its quarterback to throw the ball as much with the running game being as good as it’s been.

Even more than his play on the field, Brees says one of the best decisions he’s ever made is to make Jesus Christ the Lord of his life.

“I remember sitting in church on my 17th birthday,” Brees said. “I was locked in on the pastor as he was talking about how the Lord was looking for a few good men to carry on His Kingdom, to spread His Word, and to live the life that He had planned for them, and that spoke to me. And it was at that moment that I accepted Jesus Christ in my heart and knew that there was something bigger planned for me than just sports.”

Brees said that his heart was changed that day and that the fear he had of the unknown had gone.

“From that moment on, with Jesus in my life, I knew that the fear of the unknown was there,” Brees said in an interview with The Rock in San Diego. “With Jesus in my heart and in my life, I’m not afraid of the unknown, I’m not afraid to go to Purdue. I’m not afraid of dropping in the second round and being drafted by the San Diego Chargers. I know that God has that plan and I’m going to trust Him. I’ll be led by faith and not by site, 2 Corinthians 5:7.”

Being intentional about his faith is something Brees says has become more prominent as he’s grown and become more wise in who he is.

“We’ve had a pretty amazing transformation on our team here over the last few years,” Brees said in 2015. “A lot of believers, strong Christian men, that are in the locker room, a great pastor who has been our team chaplain for the last three years, I feel like that’s really empowered me and a lot of other guys to become more outspoken, and has put it in a position to go out and proclaim God’s Word.”

Click below to hear Drew Brees’ testimony from The Increase back in 2016.

The 9-3 Saints face the 7-5 Falcons on Thursday night in a game that could determine the winner of the NFC South.