Saints quarterback Drew Brees skipped town for two days to celebrate ‘hero’

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees had to take a detour to his native Texas this week before rejoining his teammates in preparation for Sunday’s playoff game against the Carolina Panthers.

Brees flew home to attend his grandfather’s funeral. Ray Akins, 92, passed away in New Baden, Texas, last week. Akins was a well-known former football coach.

“I really came back energized from the last two days; just being with my family and friends, with guys who played for my grandfather, listening to their stories again,” Brees said at the Saints training facility. “It just reemphasized to me what a great man he was, what a wise man he was. … He was my hero.”

Mondays are generally a light day on the NFL schedule, right after game day. Tuesdays are typical off days for the players.

Brees said he fit some game preparation around family obligations, so he’d be on point when game-plan installation started at Wednesday practice.

“I brought what I needed to bring to prepare,” Brees said. “In between, I had what I needed to get ready.”

This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Saints quarterback Drew Brees skipped town for two days to celebrate ‘hero’."