NFL Super Bowl QB Drew Brees, Goes All In on Pickleball
In the past, we’ve shared press releases about new celebrities across the US who have discovered and are now playing pickleball. In today’s article, we’re taking it up a notch and sharing information about how Drew Brees, an NFL athlete, is ready to go all in on pickleball.
He truly must love the sport because not only is he a player, but he invested in a Major League Pickleball (MLP) team called Mad Drops Pickleball Club.
Who is Drew Brees?
Former New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees played in the NFL for 20 seasons. When he retired after the 2020 season, Brees was second in the NFL in career passing yards, career touchdown passes, career pass attempts, career pass completions, and career passing completion percentage. He also holds the record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, breaking the feat held by Johnny Unitas for 52 years.
Image courtesy of CNBC
Drew Brees and the Mad Drops Pickleball Club
Nowadays, Drew is an avid pickleball player and has joined an ownership group of the MLP team, “Mad Drops Pickleball Club.” The team includes a roster of high-profile owners, including investor and entrepreneur Andrew Dodge; Los Angeles Lakers part-owner Jim Buss; real estate mogul, star of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing New York and Founder and CEO of Serhant, Ryan Serhant; consumer venture capital firm Good Alpha Industries and other strategic investors.
Through his investment, Brees hopes to raise awareness around the sport and lift the profile of pickleball athletes while driving his new team to “many championships in the years to come,” said Brees.
Other celebrities, sports team owners, and former and current athletes are also getting involved in pickleball. Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee), famed lecturer and author Brené Brown, co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks Marc Lasry, and former World No.4 tennis player James Blake are all now owners of teams in MLP.
What is Major League Pickleball?
Major League Pickleball is one of several professional pickleball associations taking the game to new heights. MLP offers a team-based, co-ed format and innovative rules that focus on athletes’ and fans’ passion for the game. According to its website, MLP’s goal is to elevate and grow the sport in everything it does.
“We are thrilled to welcome such a strong group of strategic investors and partners into the MLP family,” said MLP Founder Steve Kuhn. “MLP is the preeminent and most exciting brand in all of pickleball. The talented and passionate Mad Drops PC ownership group will further elevate our competition and athletes, which contributes to our goal of growing the game of pickleball into the world’s most exciting spectator sport.” (source)
Their 12 teams will compete throughout the season for a championship and the biggest prize money in pickleball history, $100,000. Their first draft of players was held earlier this year, but you can catch the replay and view other content on their watch and follow page.
The California-based team partially owned by Drew Brees, is currently rostered by:
Catherine Parentaeu, age 28, with a doubles DUPR rating of 6.12
Irina Tereschenko, age 40, with a doubles DUPR rating of 5.83
Thomas Wilson, age 33, with a doubles DUPR rating of 6.59
Julian Arnold, age 32, with a doubles DUPR rating of 6.53
Brees and Charity Pickleball Tournaments
In a historic first, Drew Brees faced tennis legend John McEnroe at the Nola Pickleball Fest in an exhibition on April 12, 2023, at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. While McEnroe triumphed over Brees, the real winner was the Brees Dream Foundation and those who got to watch the entertaining bout.
Final Thoughts
This is an exciting time for pickleball, and it will only continue growing as more high-profile names offer their credibility to the sport. We will continue to keep an eye on Drew Brees, who seems eager to participate and host pickleball events for charity. We can’t wait to see who will be charmed by pickleball next and what the MLP will bring to the table as the investors and fans continue rolling in.
