Bloomberg ranks New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees as the most powerful athlete in 2012 - NFL News
A recent study by Bloomberg has ranked New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees as the most powerful athlete in sports.
The top 100 list that looks at athletes from around the world of sport was released on Thursday by Bloomberg and the National Football League (NFL) dominates the rankings with 26 players from the league having their names in the list.
The ranking takes into account the players performance, their brand awareness, charity work, influence, social-media profile and perceptions of trustworthiness to measure the power rank.
Brees, who had an exceptional season with New Orleans in 2011/12, is on top of the list, followed by Green Bay Packers' quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, and New England Patriots' Super Bowl finalist, Tom Brady.
The Saints quarterback however, has outperformed all of them in the rankings even though New Orleans failed to make it past the San Francisco 49ers in the division round of the playoffs.
The 32-year-old quarterback broke NFL legend Dan Marino’s single season passing yards record this year while also passing for more touchdowns than any of his peers.
Brees covered a mammoth 5,476 passing yards while rushing for a further 86 yards. The quarterback made 46 passing touchdowns in 2011 as the Saints decimated opponents to end the regular season with a 13-3 record as he was voted in for the fourth time in
his career to take part in the prestigious Pro-Bowl match by fans.
His on-field performance were one of the best ever witnessed in the NFL, yet Brees has also developed his reputation off the field with his charity work.
The Drew Brees Dream foundation has given millions of dollars in charity for a host of projects to help the redevelopment of New Orleans from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and his work has helped him gain the enduring adulation of the city’s residents.
Brees’s brilliant reputation has also made him one of the hottest celebrity endorsers in the field of marketing with brands vying for his signature to stamp his name with their product earning him around $ 16 million as part of deals with some of the leading
brands.
Rick Horrow, President of Horrow Sports who partnered Bloomerg for the research said.
“He’s clearly an endorsement darling now,”
He further went on to add
“His record-breaking on-field performance, combined with universal recognition of his charitable and community work pushed him to the top spot.”
It just remains to be seen if Brees who is a free agent this year will remain with the Saints and power them to the Super Bowl in the 2012-13 season.
You can view live coverage and analysis of the Super Bowl XLVI by http://answers.bettor.com/Users/Robert-California-u3050 on Sunday,
11:00pm, GMT
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