They both played high school football in Texas. They both played college football at Purdue. They both play quarterback. They both have the initials DB.
Drew Brees measured barely over 6 feet at the 2001 combine and weighed 213. David Blough measured 6-0 3/8 at the East-West Shrine Game and weighed 205.
“That’s why I went to Purdue,” Blough said during a break in his training at the Michael Johnson Performance Center. “Guys like Drew Brees who have come before. I wanted to be the next one at Purdue in that legacy. Now, I have that opportunity to take that next step, and he’s the best of the best, the most professional of the professionals. I think if I can learn from him, he’s the best to learn from. I’ve got a long way to go, and that’s the way I see it. But he’s definitely one to aspire to be like.”
Brees has become a mentor of sorts for Blough, meeting with Blough and communicating with him on multiple occasions. Blough wouldn’t mind that relationship becoming a daily one in the quarterbacks meeting room in New Orleans.
The Saints will need another backup quarterback with Teddy Bridgewater entering free agency.
“When I was at the East-West Shrine Game, I got to interview a little bit with the Saints,” Blough said. “You never know. I’m sure there’s a good possibility they will take a quarterback. There’s a good possibility in free agency they’ll go for one. If they want me, I’ll be there, and of course, I’ll be sitting there trying to learn as much as I can from Drew. That would be special, but if somebody wants me, I’ll be there.”
The biggest question about Blough is the 43 interceptions he threw in his four-year career, including 21 in 2016. He threw 25 touchdowns and 10 picks in 2018.
“I had some turnover issues when I was a young quarterback at Purdue,” Blough said. “I led the country in interceptions my sophomore year. The numbers say I’ve improved. I know I’ve improved. My decision-making is improved. But there’s going to be people who ask me about that. I’m ready for it. I’m ready to show where my accuracy has improved. You can look at the measures, the statistics and see how I’ve gotten better. It’s going to be accuracy and decision-making, and I think I’ve shown the last few years that I’ve gotten a lot better at that.”