When people doubted Russel Wilson when he came into the league because of his height, supporters of his pointed to Drew Brees as an example of a shorter quarterback who was able to succeed in the NFL.

Brees, whether he likes it or not, has become the poster child for quarterbacks who are vertically challenged by putting together an ultra successful career despite standing just six feet tall. But before there was Brees, there was another shorter quarterback out there for inspiration.

"I did have Doug Flutie," Brees said Wednesday on ESPN's The Herd. "He played 20-plus years of professional football at a very high level, going back to the USFL to the NFL to the CFL, back to the NFL."

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The Chargers drafted Brees in 2001, which just so happened to be the Flutie's final year as a full-time starter in San Diego. Brees took the reigns in 2002, but he continued to study Flutie until he left for New England in 2005.

"I learned a tremendous amount of football from Doug, and I watched the way he navigated the pocket and kind of slid for vision and threw the ball through lanes," Brees said. "I always admired that, and I always thought he was one of the best I had ever seen.

And the fact he was 5-foot-10 made me feel like, 'Man, I'm 6-foot, this is no big deal at all."

And for Brees, it wasn't a big deal. He's proven that with a career that's included four 5,000-yard seasons and a Super Bowl championship. But even before he became one of the greatest passers of a generation, Brees never concerned himself with his stature.

"Honestly, I never thought twice about that, about my height or anything else," Brees said. "Because I couldn't control those things. The only thing I could control is what I did on the field, and what I did with those opportunities."