After years of incredible moments, Super Bowl rings, and leaving their legacies on the gridiron, former Little Leaguers® Drew Brees and Adam Vinatieri received the gold jacket that every football player dreams of receiving when they hang up their cleats for the final time. The two Little League graduates earned their selections for a plaque at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, cementing their careers in football history.
To be eligible for election in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, players must wait five years after their career. Every year, before the Super Bowl, the committee makes its official selection. From the list of 15 individuals, a minimum of four, to a maximum of eight, candidates get the bid to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Each individual requires at least 80% support from the committee before earning their spot in one of the most exclusive and prestigious groups in the sport.
Drew Brees – Western Hills LL (Austin, Texas)
🗣 @Saints ⚜️#LLWS pic.twitter.com/pvF6L0UD7o
— Little League (@LittleLeague) August 17, 2019
Brees earns the honor in his first year on the ballot after an incredible 20-season National Football League (NFL) career that saw 571 passing touchdowns, more than 80,000 passing yards, and 13 Pro Bowl selections. Throughout his career, Brees earned 2 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Awards, a Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, and reached the top of the mountain as a Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP.
In 2019, Brees surprised the kids from Eastbank (River Ridge, La.) Little League with a pep talk after becoming the first team from New Orleans to qualify for the Little League Baseball® World Series. That pep talk fueled the team, as they later became the first team from Louisiana to win the Little League Baseball World Series with a dominant 8-0 win over Curacao. The victory marked the first time the U.S teams won consecutive titles since 2008 and 2009. In 2018, Brees also gave a special shoutout to guests of the 27th Little League International Congress with a video to thank all the volunteers and welcome them to New Orleans.
Adam Vinatieri – Harney LL (Rapid City, S.D.)
Vinatieri cements his legacy after his second attempt on the ballot after a timeless 24-season career on the gridiron that received three Pro Bowl selections, four Super Bowl rings, and made him the NFL’s all-time leading scorer. Over the course of his career, Vinatieri kicked the most field goals in NFL history with a total of 599 and had a phenomenal 97.3% percentage on extra-point kicks.
Before his Pro Football career, Vinatieri started his athletic journey as part of Harney Little League in Rapid City, South Dakota. Even during his NFL career, Vinatieri never lost his love for the program. In 2009, Vinatieri took time out of Colts practice and surprised the Harney Little Leaguers that were in Indianapolis getting ready for the Central Regional Tournament to wish them well. Vinatieri will forever be an icon in not just the NFL but in South Dakota as a whole.
NOTE: If you know of a notable Little League graduate missing from this list, please complete the above Little League Alumni Submission form.