Look up the definition of role model in the dictionary and you should see a picture of Purdue great Drew Brees.

Quite simply, Brees is as good as it gets when it comes to being the kind of student-athlete turned professional athlete you would want your kids to idolize.

In this day and age when Michael Vick and Adam "Pacman" Jones are tarnishing the image of professional football players, there's Brees on the other end of the spectrum, not forgetting his past and humble, to say the least, about all the good fortune that has come his way.

Not only that, but at the age of 28, Brees has given back to his alma mater in a way that will continue his larger than life legacy at Purdue.

Sept. 29 was a special day in Ross-Ade Stadium. Sure, Purdue was hosting Notre Dame on the field, but it was also the day Brees returned to the place where he helped resurrect Boilermaker football taking it to heights some thought were unattainable.

Brees was recognized multiple times during the game and drew thunderous ovations, as you might expect.

The Big Ten's all-time leading passer loved the reception he got from the sellout crowd.

"I've got a lot of great memories in this stadium from the fans," Brees said. "To hear the shouts and everybody yelling, that's pretty neat."

It's also neat that Brees and his wife, Brittany, also a Purdue graduate, decided to donate $2 million to their alma mater. The generous gift, which is the largest ever by a former Boilermaker athlete to the school, will enhance an academic area to be named the Drew and Brittany Brees Student-Athlete Academic Center in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility. The Student-Athlete Academic Center will nearly double in size as part of the $82 million Mackey Arena renovation project.

"My wife and I have been wanting to give back and find the right time and right situation," said Brees as he talked to reporters at halftime of the Notre Dame game in the press box. "As important as athletics was, but not only that academics being more so, I feel like the combination of the two with the student-athlete academic center was a perfect fit for us.

"We're proud Purdue alums. I don't know where we would be without Purdue. It's just an honor to be able to give back like that."

Brees, who chose Purdue over Kentucky because of its academic reputation and the chance to play in the Big Ten, laughed when asked if he ever thought he would be able to give such a generous amount back to Purdue.

"I remember stepping on the field the first day of two-a-days (as a freshman) and seeing six other quarterbacks and saying, 'Well, at least I'm going to get a great education,'" the New Orleans Saints quarterback said. "Obviously I did get that, but not only that, I got a lot of great memories and the opportunity to play in the NFL and have the ability to donate back in this way. I'm very proud of that."

Basketball coach Matt Painter said, "It's great for our university when you have somebody as prestigious as Drew Brees, that is enjoying a great career and got his degree from Purdue in industrial management; and now he's giving back. That's important to have former student-athletes give back and help out the current student-athletes excel in the classroom and on the field."

Not surprisingly, Brees gives a lot of the credit for his success to Coach Joe Tiller, saying he's indebted to the Boilermaker boss.

"I owe a tremendous amount to Coach Tiller," Brees said. "Coach Tiller getting the job here is the reason I came to Purdue, otherwise I don't think this would've happened.

"Everything happens for a reason and people are brought together in strange ways. Every year I come back and see Coach Tiller, we reminisce a little bit about the old days. He brought me in, along with a bunch of other quarterbacks, not knowing who was going to be the guy.

"I guess it all worked out."

Worked out it did.

Brees, a member of Tiller's first recruiting class, led the Boilermakers to a 24-13 overall record, including 16-8 in the Big Ten, as a three-year starting quarterback.

As a senior, he guided Purdue to its first Big Ten championship in 33 years and first Rose Bowl appearance since the 1966 season.

Brees was a two-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy and won the 2000 Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player. He holds two NCAA records, 12 Big Ten records and 18 Purdue records.

"When Coach Tiller got here, Purdue football had been down for a while," the Austin, Texas, native said. "We started to go to consecutive bowl games and getting to the point where we were a contender year in and year out in the Big Ten. I felt like this campus came alive.

"Looking across at the student section today gives you a lot of pride. They're all wearing black. They've got the cheers and are in sync. You can really tell that people love Purdue football now. That's been a process. Coach Tiller was instrumental in bringing that here and getting that tradition and pride back. It makes me proud to be back and be able to see that."

Brees and Brittany had been thinking about returning to their old stomping ground once they found out that the Saints' bye week fell on the same weekend as the Notre Dame game.

"The fact that we're 0-3 right now I think maybe (the bye week) coming at a great time," Brees admitted. "It gives me a chance to come up here, maybe reflect a little bit and take a step back with my mind still very much on football and how we can get things turned around down there.

"You see the success of the current Purdue team and try to dig deep and try to find a little motivation in something that I can carry back down to New Orleans."

Brees was looking forward to returning to the Big Easy to give one of his teammates an earful. Brees has had a fun time this season poking fun at Notre Dame alum Jeff Faine, a center for the Saints.

"He's a little ashamed right now," Brees said. "If you think things are bad for me with the Saints being 0-3, at least my Boilermakers are (5-0). With Faine, his Saints are 0-3 and his Irish are (0-5)."

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