When Drew Brees first arrived in the league as a member of the San Diego Chargers many doubted his ability to get the job done. He's somewhat undersized and isn't known for being the most athletic quarterback during this current era of speedster and big arm quarterbacks. While many counted him out as just average, he took the New Orleans Saints on his back and made them one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL today. If there's any player with the heart of lion, it's Drew Brees.
After having a successful college career at Purdue University, Brees went on to be selected 32nd overall in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers. Brees one the starting the starting job in San Diego in 2002, but after suffering a severe shoulder injury signed with the New Orleans Saints were he would become an instant stud. Prior to Drew Brees joining forces with the Saints , the franchise only won one playoff game in 29 years. Brees led the Saints to their first-ever Super Bowl victory in 2009 against the Indiapolis Colts and took home Super Bowl MVP honors for his performance. The 12x Pro Bowler currently ranked third in all-time passing touchdowns (522) and is set to pass Peyton Manning's 539 in the near future.
They may be beautiful, rich and famous, but celebrities are human too, and that means they're just as prone to getting sick as the rest of us. And just like us, some celebs even live with chronic conditions that can take a toll on their day-to-day lives. But eczema – also referred to as dermatitis – is a common dry skin condition. Symptoms include dry, itchy, red and scaly skin. In more extreme cases, the skin can crust and bleed. According to the National Eczema Association, 1 in 10 individuals will develop eczema in their lifetime. And given these statistics, it’s hardly a surprise there are a few celebrities out there who have eczema too.
The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, 37, suffered from eczema in her teens. Kate was bullied heavily whilst attending Downe House girls’ boarding school, according to the Duchess’s friend Jessica Hay. According Hay, Middleton’s bullies made fun of her eczema. ‘It didn’t help that she was so tall and self-conscious about her eczema,’ Hay told CelebNow. Studies have shown children with moderate and extreme atopic dermatitis are more likely to suffer from conditions like anxiety and low self-esteem, which has a knock-on effect on their school work and ability to make friends.
Although Brad Pitt, 55, has not spoken about the issue himself, his co-star Cate Blanchett disclosed that Pitt was suffering from eczema during filming of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. In an interview with Scotland’s Daily Record, the actress said, ‘We went through three weeks of make-up tests and he was covered in eczema from it all.’ Blanchett sweetly loaned Pitt her skin cream to deal with the dermatitis, that had developed due to the use of prosthetic makeup worn during filming. Prosthetic make-up isn’t the hugest concern for us non-Hollywood folk, nevertheless, what is a concern, is how makeup can trigger eczema flair up. Unless makeup brushes are constantly washed (let’s be real, they’re not), they become a breeding ground for bacteria. This can lead to clogged pores and irritated sensitive skin.
Adele, 31, stated that her eczema flared up when she became a new mom. During a press conference in 2013 after her Golden Globe win for Best Original Song for the Bond film Sykfall, the singer said: ‘I am exhausted. That’s how [motherhood] changed me. I have eczema from boiling bottles.’ Research carried out by the BMJ (formerly known as the British Medical Journal) has revealed that contact dermatitis has the potential to have ‘detrimental’ impact and in the worst case scenarios can even threaten some sufferers ability to work.