CANTON, Ohio - With an assist from his former head coach Sean Payton, Drew Brees took the cover off his Pro Football Hall of Fame bust. The New Orleans Saints legend took his place among pro football's elite as he was inducted with the Hall of Fame's Class of 2026.

During his enshrinement speech, Brees gave a recap of his career in its entirety, even all the way back to winning a state championship at Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. After going through his days in high school, college at Purdue, and then his time in San Diego with the Chargers, Brees came to the franchise he spent 15 years with.

"If you love New Orleans, it will love you back," said Brees.

"New Orleans, you accepted me, you embraced me, you believed in me, but more importantly, you trusted me with the soul of the city, and I would've died to protect that calling," Brees said.

During the speech, Brees spoke at length about his relationships with Sean Payton and Saints owner Gayle Benson.

Brees' resume includes 80,358 passing yards and 571 passing touchdowns. When Brees retired, he was the NFL's all-time leader in both categories. Both marks have since been surpassed, but Brees still holds the record for most seasons with 5,000 passing yards, with five. The most any other quarterback has is 2.

In a stretch from 2009-2012, Brees threw a touchdown in 54 straight games. That record still stands. 

Brees' full speech is available here.