DREW BREES TO WRITE MEMOIR WITH TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS

 

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints quarterback and Super Bowl XLIV Most Valuable Player, will be releasing his memoir, Coming Back Stronger: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Adversity, with Tyndale House Publishers. The autobiography, which is scheduled to release July 6, 2010, will chronicle the incredible comeback story not only of one of the NFL’s top quarterbacks, but also the rebirth of a city and a team that many had all but written off. Chris Fabry (who also penned Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel’s NYT bestselling The Winners Manual) will collaborate with Brees in writing the book. Coming Back Stronger will feature a multi-city book tour and a comprehensive marketing campaign.

“The comeback stories of Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints, and the city of New Orleans has inspired the nation,” said Ron Beers, Tyndale SVP and publisher. “But there is so much more that people don’t know. Unfortunately, we’re living in an economy where a lot of people are being forced to stage their own comebacks. Drew’s story and message of perseverance in the face of adversity is something that everyone can learn from.”

When a potentially career-ending shoulder injury left quarterback Drew Brees without a team, the NFL wondered, would Brees ever come back? When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, leaving 85% of the city under water, many wondered, would the city ever come back? And when their stadium was transformed into a makeshift refugee camp, forcing the Saints to play their entire 2005 season on the road, people questioned, would the team ever come back?

It takes a special person to turn adversity into success and despair into hope—yet that is exactly what Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees has done—and with the weight of an entire city on his shoulders. In Coming Back Stronger, Brees’ inspiring message of hope proves that with enough faith, determination, and heart, every one of us can overcome the obstacles life throws our way and not only come back, but come back stronger.
Brees is the 2009 Super Bowl MVP-winning quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. In Brees' five years with the San Diego Chargers and four years with the New Orleans Saints, he has been elected to four Pro Bowls while being named 2004 Comeback Player of the Year, 2006 All-Pro Team, 2006 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, 2008 NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and Super Bowl XLIV Champion and MVP.

As much pride as Brees takes in his on-field performance, he takes even more satisfaction in his community service endeavors. Drew and his wife, Brittany, established the Brees Dream Foundation in 2003 and since then have raised and/or committed over $5 million to help advance cancer research, care for cancer patients, and rebuild schools, parks, playgrounds, and athletic fields in New Orleans, San Diego, and Purdue/West Lafayette, Ind. communities. Drew currently lives with his wife, Brittany, and son, Baylen, in New Orleans.

In accordance with the Brees’ wishes, a portion of the proceeds from the sales of Coming Back Stronger will go to support The Brees Dream Foundation’s ongoing efforts to advance research in the fight against cancer and provide care, education, and opportunities for children in need.

Tyndale House Publishers has had great success with sports-related titles in recent years. Tony Dungy’s memoir, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life, rocketed to the top spot on the New York Times Best Sellers List in August 2007, and remained on the list for 37 weeks. With more than 1,000,000 copies sold, Quiet Strength has become one of the best-selling sports-related titles in history. Dungy’s second book, Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance, reached No. 2 on the New York Times Best Sellers List in February 2009, remaining on the list for 16 weeks.

In 2007, Tyndale released Don’t Bet Against Me!, the memoir of Deanna Favre, wife of NFL great Brett Favre, which went on to spend ten consecutive weeks on the New York Times hardcover nonfiction list.

In July 2008, Tyndale released The Winners Manual: For the Game of Life by Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel, which went on to spend eight consecutive weeks on the Times’ “Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous” list.

In 2009, Tyndale released Super Bowl–winning coach and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs’s book Game Plan for Life, which spent six consecutive weeks on the New York Times “Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous” list. Also, in 2009, Tyndale released First Things First: The Rules of Being a Warner, by Arizona Cardinals Quarterback Kurt Warner and his wife, Brenda, which debuted on the New York Times No. 10 on the Times’ “Advice, How-To, and Miscellaneous” hardcover nonfiction list.