Alvin Kamara’s “Forever 9” Tribute Caps Emotional Weekend for New Hall of Famer Drew Brees
Alvin Kamara's two-word tribute to Drew Brees is going viral a day after the Saints legend's emotional Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement speech in Canton.
Drew Brees is officially a Hall of Famer, and the reaction from the New Orleans Saints locker room he once led says everything about the mark he left on the city. A day after Brees delivered an emotional, 25-minute enshrinement speech in Canton, Ohio, current Saints running back Alvin Kamara summed up the moment in just two words: “FOREVER 9!”
Brees was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 on Saturday at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, joining wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri and running back Roger Craig in one of the more decorated classes in recent memory. The former Purdue standout and longtime San Diego Chargers and Saints quarterback capped a career that redefined the passing game and turned New Orleans into a champion, culminating in a Super Bowl XLIV title and MVP honor.
A Speech Built Around New Orleans
Brees used much of his induction speech to trace his path from Texas high school football through Purdue and San Diego before ultimately landing in New Orleans, where he spent 15 seasons rewriting the franchise’s history. He told the city directly that it had trusted him “with the soul of the city,” a line that resonated with fans who watched him help rebuild both a football program and a community in the years following Hurricane Katrina.
He also reflected on his early years with the Chargers, recalling how he and running back LaDainian Tomlinson “grew up together” on that roster before his career took off in New Orleans. Brees received his gold jacket from Joe Montana at Friday night’s enshrinement dinner, and he chose former Saints head coach Sean Payton to present him for induction. Payton, now the head coach of the Denver Broncos, accepted the invitation in an emotional video call with Brees that the team’s staff filmed and shared publicly weeks before the ceremony.
Kamara, Fans and the Saints Faithful React
The tributes kept coming well after Brees left the podium. Kamara reposted the Hall of Fame’s enshrinement photo of Brees and praised the way his former teammate approached every practice, game and film session “like it was the last moment… the determining factor between winning and losing.” Five years removed from his final NFL snap, Brees’ standing in New Orleans clearly hasn’t faded, and Kamara’s message made that plain.
Beyond the current roster, fans turned out in force to mark the occasion. A family made the trip to Canton specifically to watch Brees get inducted, and a card show in the New Orleans area saw fans lining up for No. 9 memorabilia tied to the enshrinement weekend. Brees’ number, retired by the Saints in 2021, remains one of the most recognizable in franchise history alongside names like Archie Manning and Rickey Jackson.
What Brees Built Over 15 Seasons
Brees’ Hall of Fame case was never really in question. He finished his career as one of the most prolific passers the league has seen, backed by 13 Pro Bowl selections, two AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards and the 2006 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year honor for his work off the field. The height and injury concerns that once followed him out of the draft process became footnotes to a resume that included a Super Bowl championship and years of some of the most efficient quarterback play in NFL history.
His enshrinement also comes amid a busy stretch of public life for Brees outside football. Breeze Airways named him its first brand ambassador earlier this month, timed intentionally to his Hall of Fame weekend, with the airline citing New Orleans and Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport as key markets in the partnership.
The Legacy Moving Forward
For a Saints franchise now built around a new starting quarterback competition in training camp, Brees’ induction is a reminder of the standard he set and the connection he built with the city that never really left. Kamara’s tribute, the fan turnout in Canton and the outpouring on social media all point to the same conclusion: in New Orleans, Brees’ No. 9 remains untouchable, gold jacket or not.