Drew Brees considers the football legacy of Green Bay and offers hopefuls draft guidance.

In a recent trip to Green Bay for the 2025 NFL Draft, Pro Football Hall of Famer Drew Brees took time to immerse himself in the storied legacy of Titletown and to share insights with draft hopefuls eager to carve their own paths in the league. Reflecting on Green Bay’s unique community-owned structure, venerable Lambeau Field and the legends who have donned the green and gold, Brees celebrated the city’s reputation as a “football mecca” and underscored the virtues of preparation, resilience and gratitude. Addressing prospects directly, he reminded them that every accolade and opportunity is built on years of dedication and sacrifice, while advising them to balance optimism with patience, learn from the Packers’ championship pedigree and embrace the community that will rally behind them. His blend of historical reverence and practical guidance painted a vivid roadmap for the next generation of NFL talent.

Green Bay’s Storied Football Legacy

A Football Mecca on the Shores of Lake Michigan

“The energy here is unlike anywhere else,” Brees observed during his visit. “It obviously has a reputation for being a football mecca.” Green Bay’s identity is inseparable from the Packers’ franchise, which has called Lambeau Field home since 1957, and traces its roots back to 1919, making it the NFL’s third-oldest team. Lambeau Field itself, often referred to as the “Frozen Tundra,” has been witness to countless iconic moments—from Vince Lombardi’s championship dynasties in the 1960s to Brett Favre’s gunslinger days, and Aaron Rodgers’ precision-led campaigns.

Community Ownership and Small-Town Heart

Unlike any other club in the “Big Four” leagues, the Packers are publicly owned by more than 537,000 stockholders, none of whom can hold more than four percent of shares—a model set in 1923 to rescue the team from bankruptcy and steadfastly maintained ever since. This nonprofit structure has fostered unparalleled community engagement and financial transparency, with the club routinely publishing its annual financials. It has kept the franchise anchored in a city of just over 100,000 residents, ensuring that Titletown remains a living testament to what fan ownership can achieve.

Icons of the Gridiron: Lambeau, Lombardi, Starr and Beyond

From Curly Lambeau, who helped pioneer the forward pass in the 1930s alongside Don Hutson, to Lombardi’s relentless pursuit of excellence resulting in five NFL championships in seven years, Green Bay’s roll call of legends reads like a hall of fame exhibit. Bart Starr’s MVP performance in Super Bowls I and II set the tone for championship aspirations, while Favre’s ironman streak and Rodgers’ Super Bowl XLV heroics have kept the legacy alive into the 21st century. Each generation has contributed to a culture where attention to detail, accountability and fierce loyalty are paramount.

Brees’ Reflections on Titletown

Honoring Tradition While Embracing Change

As someone who played his college ball at Purdue and then became the face of a franchise in New Orleans, Brees appreciates the balancing act between reverence for history and the necessity of evolution. He lauded Green Bay’s ability to honor its past while integrating cutting-edge strategies, training methods and analytics to stay competitive. “You can feel the ghosts of the greats here, but you also see young players and coaches constantly innovating,” he noted.

The Enduring Power of Community

Brees highlighted how Green Bay’s fan-ownership model translates into unmatched game-day atmospheres and community pride. He recounted walking through the Lambeau Field atrium and seeing multi-generational families wearing jerseys spanning decades, a living tapestry of shared memories. “This is more than a game,” he said. “It’s a communal heartbeat that connects past, present and future.”

The 2025 NFL Draft Weekend in Green Bay

Draft-Day Festivities and the Legacy Hotel Experience

For the first time in draft history, the NFL Draft was hosted entirely outdoors on Downtown Green Bay’s Broadway, with Lambeau Field’s façade serving as the marquee backdrop. Adjacent to the stadium, the Legacy Hotel offered a $250 “Ultimate VIP Experience,” allowing fans to mingle with legends like Brees, former Packers stars Sean Jones and current cornerback Carrington Valentine. Proceeds of the event benefited Children’s Wisconsin.

Insights from Past and Present Packers

During a special session at the Legacy Hotel, Valentine reflected on his own seventh-round draft day lessons, emphasizing patience and internal motivation: “Everything happens for a reason,” he told prospects. “I’ve got every draftee’s name in my phone—not for envy, but as fuel.” Super Bowl XXXI champion Sean Jones added, “You lived for this moment your entire life. Manage expectations, but cherish every second.”

Brees’ Advice to Draft Hopefuls

Preparation, Commitment and Gratitude

“All the work and dedication and commitment you’ve put in up to this point has given you this opportunity,” Brees reminded the assembled prospects. “What’s always fun about the draft is experiencing that moment when you realize you’re one of the select few who made it.” He stressed starting each day with gratitude—for family, coaches and teammates—and using that mindset to fuel continuous improvement.

Managing Expectations and Staying Grounded

Drawing on his own journey from a mid-round pick in 2001 to a Super Bowl MVP, Brees urged prospects to plan for both success and adversity. He noted that high draft status does not guarantee a secure career: “Take nothing for granted. Whether you go in the first round or seventh, you have to earn it every day.”

Learning from Historical Precedents

Brees encouraged prospects to study draft surprises and busts, using Green Bay’s history of drafting intelligently under Lombardi and subsequent regimes. By analyzing how the Packers identified under-the-radar talent—such as Brett Favre in the second round of 1991—hopefuls can appreciate the importance of fitting a team’s culture and scheme.

Building Relationships and Community Impact

Finally, Brees reminded prospects that their influence extends beyond the gridiron. “How you carry yourself in the community will define your legacy as much as on-field performance,” he said. He cited the Packers Foundation’s charitable work and encouraged prospects to engage with local initiatives, noting that leadership and character are prized in Green Bay’s locker room.

Carrying the Legacy Forward

Embracing Packers’ Values

For aspiring professionals, Brees’ counsel was clear: embody the ethos of hard work, accountability and loyalty that has defined Green Bay football for more than a century. Whether in practice drills or community service projects, prospects should strive to add to the rich tapestry of Titletown.

Brees’ Lasting Influence on the Next Generation

By bridging his own championship experiences with the Packers’ unparalleled heritage, Drew Brees provided a blueprint for success rooted in respect for tradition, relentless preparation and genuine leadership. As draft hopefuls disperse to their respective teams, they carry not only their own ambitions but also the lessons of Green Bay’s storied past—a legacy that Brees, in his inimitable style, helped to illuminate for one and all.

Below is an expanded exploration of Drew Brees’s visit to Green Bay during the 2025 NFL Draft and the lessons he shared with hopeful prospects. Building on his reflections on Titletown’s heritage, we delve into how prospects can leverage Green Bay’s immersive experiences—both on and off the field—to prepare mentally, physically and professionally for their NFL careers.

Draft Weekend as a Living Classroom

Green Bay’s transformation into “Titletown University” during draft weekend offers prospects unique learning opportunities that extend far beyond meetings with scouts and coaches. 250,000 visitors descended on the city—more than twice its population—underscoring the scale of operations and community buy-in that make the draft feel like a major championship in its own right .

Within walking distance of Lambeau Field, prospects can tour the Packers Hall of Fame’s “Return to Glory” and “Community Gallery” exhibits, which chronicle both on-field excellence and civic outreach, illustrating how past players balanced peak performance with character and community leadership .

Each interactive station—from the physical drills showcase to the “History Theatre” screenings—teaches the fundamentals of professionalism, teamwork and resilience, reinforcing Brees’s message that “every accolade and opportunity is built on years of dedication and sacrifice” .

Immersing in Packers’ Rich Draft Heritage

Green Bay’s legacy of draft decision-making provides a roadmap for prospects to study successful and cautionary tales alike. Packers team historian Cliff Christl’s oral history series highlights defining moments—like the seismic 2017 quarterback class that produced Patrick Mahomes and offered lessons on arm talent vs. scheme fit—that prospects are encouraged to analyze to understand the long-term impact of draft choices .

Similarly, Pete Dougherty’s press-gazette mailbag detailed how past regimes balanced need vs. best-available-player, such as choosing Clay Matthews in 2009 over other defensive standouts and later pivoting to Aaron Rodgers in 2005—moves that reshaped the franchise’s trajectory .

Brees urged prospects to chart these historical precedents, “studying how the Packers identified under-the-radar talent—like Brett Favre in 1991—to appreciate the importance of fitting a team’s culture and scheme” .

Community Engagement and Fan Integration

No other NFL city matches Green Bay’s level of fan ownership and engagement. During his visit, Brees highlighted how seeing multi-generational families in the Lambeau atrium reinforces the idea that “this is more than a game; it’s a communal heartbeat” .

Prospects can capitalize on the Legacy Hotel’s “Ultimate VIP Experience,” where appearances by Brees, Sean Jones and Carrington Valentine allow for informal conversations about mindset and perseverance—key aspects of Brees’s “start each day with gratitude” philosophy .

Moreover, events like the Draft End Zone Food Truck Alley and virtual draft parties connect prospects directly with fans, teaching them the value of accessibility, humility and giving back—principles central to the Packers Foundation’s outreach initiatives .

Off-Field Intelligence and Analytics

Green Bay’s embrace of analytics and modern training methods offers prospects a glimpse into the future of professional preparation. At the NFL Draft Experience’s “Play 60 Zone,” prospects engage in drills measured by sensors, mirroring the data-driven environment they’ll encounter in team facilities .

Brees commended Green Bay’s integration of cutting-edge sports science with time-honored traditions: “You can feel the ghosts of the greats here, but you also see young players and coaches constantly innovating” .

Studying the Packers’ draft rooms—where position coaches, general managers and analytics staff converge—helps prospects understand how to present their film, medical evaluations and psychological assessments in ways that align with team decision-making processes .

Brees’s Blueprint for Holistic Development

Drawing on his journey from a mid-round pick to Super Bowl MVP, Brees offered a multi-faceted roadmap:

1. Mental Resilience: Embrace periods of waiting—like Carrington Valentine’s seventh-round surprise—and turn “having every draftee’s name in your phone…into fuel” for continual growth .
2. Adaptability: Prepare for scheme changes and locker-room dynamics; Brees reminded prospects that “whether you go in the first round or seventh, you have to earn it every day” .
3. Community Impact: Cultivate your brand off the field through charity work and fan engagement, echoing Green Bay’s model of public ownership and shared legacy .
4. Continuous Learning: Analyze past draft surprises and busts—both in Green Bay and league-wide—to refine your approach to preparation and self-evaluation .

By integrating these lessons, prospects can not only maximize their draft experience in Green Bay but also lay the foundation for sustained success in the NFL—honoring both the storied past of Titletown and the boundless potential of their own futures.