Upper Deck's 2001 SP Authentic set put a piece of fabric on its leading rookie cards. The patches did not come from games. They came from jerseys the rookies wore at the 2001 NFL Players Rookie Premiere photo shoot, and the card says so: EVENT-WORN PATCH, printed beneath the swatch.
A swatch from the rookie photo shoot, and the card says so.
Drew Brees's card is #101, the first of the patch rookies, numbered to 800. This copy is 260 of 800.
The card is horizontal. On the left, a navy and white patch sits in a circular window ringed with FUTURE WATCH and his name; on the right, Brees rolls out in the Chargers' navy number 9, the ball in both hands, with the SP Authentic logo above him.
A Future Watch Gold version of #101, numbered to 100, is vertical and has no patch.
He finished his career with 571 touchdown passes, second only to Tom Brady at his retirement, and a run of 54 straight games with at least one.
