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Former Westlake High Student on the Cover of Sports Illustrated

Sports Illustrated cover

After hometown football hero Drew Brees led the New Orleans Saints to their first Superbowl victory in franchise history, the Westlake native has now been named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year.

The SI award comes as Brees and the Saints have won four consecutive games and, with an 8-3 record, moved solidly into playoff contention in defense of the championship they won a year ago in Miami. Brees, 31, was the MVP of that Super Bowl game, but he wins SI's highest honor for much more than just his ability to play football.

As the Westlake Picayune reported in February, Brees was the first Texas high school quarterback ever to start in the Superbowl.

As every Chap fan worth his or her weight in seat options knows Brees captained the 1996 Westlake team to a perfect season that included a 55-15 win over Abilene Cooper in the Class 5A Division II title game.

Brees will be honored at an event tonight in at 5:30 CST at the IAC Building in New York City.

Nathan Bernier is the transportation reporter at KUT. He covers the big projects that are reshaping how we get around Austin, like the I-35 overhaul, the airport's rapid growth and the multibillion dollar transit expansion Project Connect. He also focuses on the daily changes that affect how we walk, bike and drive around the city. Got a tip? Email him at nbernier@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @KUTnathan.